DISCOURSES
ON
RADHASOAMI FAITH
REGISTERED UNDER SECTIONS 18 AND 19,
ACT XXV OF 1867
ir
I
SOAMIJI MAHARAJ
.
DISCOURSES
ON
RADHASOAMI FAITH
BY
MAHARAJ SAHEB
PANDIT BRAHM SANKAR MISEA,.M. A.
PUBLISHED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE PROPRIETORS
BY
B. P. DEY, DAYAL SAHA1, R. S. SATSANG,
BENARES
1909
(.All rights reserved)
PRINTED BY A. C. PAUL, AT THE UNIVERSAL PRESS.
27, RAMKRISHNAPUR GHAT ROAD, HOWRAH
RADHASOAAU
SAHAI
PREFATORY NOTE
HI AT there is HO conflict between true
j. .. science and true religion, and that
the onward and systematic researches of
the former only go to confirm and establish
all the esoteric and occult principles of
the latter, has been very clearly and *
forcibly set down in these spiritual Dis- I
•courses. The object of science is to ascer- t
tain the laws of nature, including the I,
form and characteristics of the prime .s
force in creation, and that of religion is h
to become happy and immortal by bhakti, .e
*. <?., by being ever grateful to, and falling
pnMrute at, the most exalted and ever ie
merciful Feet of the eternal Supreme >n
Being. Both these analogous objects, one 4£
viewed from the point of intelligence and
VI PREFATORY NOTE
the other from that of subjective pheno
mena, can easily and properly be attained
by the performance of the devotional
practices prescribed by Sant Sat guru,
Who is the incarnation of the all-knowing
Supreme Being. In essence and substance
He is the same as the First Manifesting
Cause.
In conformity to the innate law of the
universe, where the real controlling power
remains ever enveloped in the innermost
recess of a system, the nij a nip (real form)
of the Sant Satguru similarly remains
hidden inside the spiritual chamber of the
human form, which He mercifully assumes
when the Triloki, in which our earth is
included, comes nearest to Satyalok, i. e.,
in conjunction with the first grand division
of creation. With a view to gain access to
the Sant Satguru and to mark and follow
the path of progress and ascension
from the objective to the subjective
systems, the Radhasoami religion,
otherwise known as Santmat, enjoins on its
PREFATORY NOTE VII
followers the necessity of placing implicit
faith and trust in the mercy and grace of
the Sant Satguru, in precisely the same
way as a two or three year old child gives
itself up cheerfully to the affectionate
care and protection of its parents. First
in human form, then in the forms of
Devatas, Brahm, Para Brahm, Sohang
Punish, and finally in nija rup, Sant
Satguru has to associate Himself object
ively and subjectively with His followers
in all these forms of their transformation
and development, with a view to render
to them every kind of help, both when in
and out of the flesh, and to elevate and
redeem them. Satsangis find in Sant
Satguru their true guardian, friend,
instructor, and redeemer. The Sat sang is
a sort of spiritual institution of which
the principal presiding authority is the
Sant Satguru Himself.
/ f ' / /
Soamiji Maharaj, the founder of the
f / i /
Radhasoami religion and an incarnation
of the Supreme Being, manifested Himself
Vl PREFATORY NOTE
in an old and ^ respectable " family of
Khat tries at Agra IB August.,1818. From
early childhood, He began to expound the
highest principles of religion to the gifted
few, and His extraordinary powers had a
great effect upon all who came in contact
with Him. Soamiji Maharaj had no Guru
and as such was a Swata Sant. He
dictated two books in Hindi, viz. :
(1) Sar Bachan, in verse,
(2) Sar Bachan, in prose.
He departed from this world k*
Huzoor Maharaj, Rai Saligram Saheb
Bahadoor, was the second Leader and
Guru of the Radhasoami religion. He
manifested Himself in a highly reputed
family of Kayasthas at Agra on the 14th
March ? 1828^ and joined the /Satsang of ^
Soamiji Maharaj in 1858. He was th<e
chief disciple and Gurumukh of His time,
and after the demise of Soamiji Mah'araj
e presidediover the ,Satsang for over
weptv years f rom June^KvOo December.
I* * 7 A
He published the' two books
PREFATORY NOTE IX
mentioned above and also wrote and
published the following works :—
1. Prem Bam, in verse, 4 vols., in
Hindi,
2. Prem Patra, in prose, 6 vols,
in Hindi.
3. Radhasoami Mat Prakash, in
prose — in English, and
4. Several small treatises in Hindi
and Urdu.
Mahanij Saheb, Pandit Brahm Sankar
Misra, the thircLXeadeii mid Guru, mani
fested Himself onffi'e 28tli March^l861^
in one of the most renowned families of
Srahmans at Benares, in Mahalla Peary,
close to Kabir Chowrali, where Kabir
Saheb appeared a few hundred years ago.
Shortly after completing His educational
y^W » Ct- i
career and obtaininsr the degree of IT. A-.
A
of the Calcutta University, He ioined the
* «5/V-^4*n,i^<jlcj
Satsansr of Hu/oor/Malmrai on tlie/28th
^iuJK^.ZJLR ^CfltL'
JNovember^lStto^ He in His turn became
the Gurumukh of His true spiritual Eather,
Huzoor Maharaj, and when HI J?ecember5
X PREFATORY NOTE
18989Huzoor Maharaj departed from this
world, He became the Head of the Satsang
t i f
Maharaj Saheb resided in Allahabad for a
considerable number of years and after a
few months' sojourn in Karachi' and
Hyderabad (Sind) during the winter of
1906, He came, to, Benares and departed
i . , ,5^vwv^v^A
trom this world on the 12th\October.l907.V%'
These Discourses, which Maharaj Saheb
had dictated extempore, have by His mauj
been left unfinished. The universal law,
so to say, is that recreation is creation and
that rest implies action, and in accordance
with this proposition this temporary
objective cessation in the course of mauj
appears to be in harmony with the mission
of redemption, to which an impetus in
the fulness of time is evidently meant, i. e.,
the Satsang, which was very graciously
inaugurated by Soamiji Maharaj in 18i
and was in operation generally in an object
ive form for about 50 years, has to be
further widened and developed by turning
its course to meet karma- and its effects
PREFATORY NOTE XI
by a consolidation of the work already
done and by infusion of fresh spirituality
into humanity. It will be seen that Part
IV of the book relating to karma was just
commenced and that, it is presumed, other
cognate matters were left untouched. It
is also a fact that with the exception of
the first Part, Maharaj Saheb did not even
revise what in Parts II and III He had
dictated from time to time without consult
ing the previous portions. It might be
asked whether it would be worthwhile^
under such circumstances 9 to bring out
these Discourses in print, as of course He
had intended to daand often expressed His
intention of doing in a complete form. To
this question, there can be but one answer
from the point of view of a satsangi,
for whose benefit the book is really pub
lished. To him, irrespective of other
considerations, it must be taken as an
inspired writing, and at the present critical
time, there is no doubt that even in its
unfinished condition the book would be a
Xll PREFATORY NOTE
solace, an inestimable boon, and a blessing.
To the English-speaking persons who now-
/ / ft
a-days join the lladhasoami Sats"ang, it
will also be a very great help in under
standing the true principles of the lladha
soami religion.
The manuscript has been ready for the
press since December, 1907, but still there
has been considerable delay and unforeseen
difficulty in its due publication. With a
view, however, to meet the wishes of sat-
sangis, some of whom are very anxious for
its speedy issue, this book is now presented
in as good a form as is possible under the
existing circumstances. What name Maha-
raj Saheb intended to give to the book is not
known, and the present name is a simple
transcript of the name of the first book
issued on the lladhasoami religion.
In 1901 and 1902, Mah'araj Saheb for
warded two brief reports on the lladha
soami Faith to the Census officers of the
Punjab and the tlnited Provinces, which
are attached to this book as Appendices
PREFATORY NOTE XVII
localities, where the Sant Satgurus-
appeared and where Their holy ashe&
have heen preserved, are places of unique
importance.
The holy ashes of the three incarnations
have been preserved in the sammUis at the
following places :—
1. Soamiii Maharaj's — at Soami Bag)v,
(lladhasoami Garden), Agra,
2. Huzoor Maharaj's — at Peepalmandi,
Affra, and
/ / / , /
3. Maharaj Saheh's — at Soami Bag^
Benares.
The above places and the tombs in
which the holy ashes have been preserved
are regarded as the holiest shrines, sancta
sanctorum, quite free from the atmosphere
of worldly pursuits and vanities. Sant
Sat guru while in human form held Satsang
at these places. They have thereby been
sanctified, and naturally therefore an
association of purity and holiness is
attached to them. The particular sites
from which the Sant Satguru departed
XV111 PREFATORY NOTE
from this world, the holy ashes, the hall
where He used to preside and where His
photographs or painted pictures have been
kept up, and the articles or furniture
used by Him — all harmoniously combine
to concentrate attention and elevate the
spirit to a point at which satsangis practise
their spiritual devotion. They have thus
become the most holy places of worship
and parikarmd (an imitation of the
devotee's movements while traversing in
wardly) for the members of the Radha-
soami Faith. There the annual vdnddrds
of Soamiji Maharaj, Huzoor Maharaj, and
Maharaj Saheb take place in June,
December, and October respectively.
The unusual length of this note is due to
the very great importance of the subject,
and as to any defect in the get-up, &c., of
this edition, it is due to the peculiarly un
fortunate circumstances under which this
great and holy book is at last published,
and the reader may accordingly be pleased
to take an indulgent view of the matter.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I
True Religion, its Object and the Condition
under which that Object is attainable
ART. PAGE
1. Preliminary Remarks ... ... 1
2. The Object of Religion ... ... 2
3. Pleasure and Pain ... ... 3
4. The Sensory Current ... ... 4
5. Definition of Pain ... ... 6
6. Definition of Pleasure ... ... 10
7. The State of Supreme Bliss ... ' ... 13
8. Development of Spirit-force ... t... 14
9. Differentiation of Mind and Spirit ... 15
10. Disembodied Spirits ... ... 16
11. Spirit-force distinguished from the so-called
Forces of Nature ... ... 19
12. The five Elements of the Ancients ... 27
13. Spirit, the Prime Force ... ... 28
14. The Supreme Source of Spirit ... ... 32
15. The Object of Religion in View... ... 34
16. Spirit and its Source ... ... 34
17. Three main Factors of Human Existence ... 36
18. Six Subdivisions of Human Frame ... 38
J9. The Sensory and the Motor Currents ... 41
XX TABLE OF CONTENTS
ART. PAGE
20. The Region of Universal Mind and its
six Subdivisions ... ••• 44
21. The Region of Pure Spirit ... ... 53
22. Communion of the Microcosm with the
Macrocosm ... ... ••• 56
23. The Brain and its Functions ... ... 60
24. The Brain and its Apertures ... ... 65
25. Practice of Devotional Methods attended
by increased Vital Energy ... 67
PART II
Methods of Spiritual Development and
of the Elevation of the Spirit
26. Spiritual Development ... ... 69
27. Sound, Sight, and Speech— Essential
Factors of Existence ... ... 70
28. The three Dimensions not affected by
Creational Forces ... ... 73
29. Sound, an Expression of the Force
producing it ... ... ••• 74
30. The Course of Spiritual Sound is always
inward ... ««• ... 76
31. Ordinary Methods of Contemplation not
purely spiritual ... ... 78
32. All Feelings reflected on Face ... ... 79
33. Responsive Action evoked by means of
Facial Expression ... .., 80
TAfcLfi OF CONTENTS
ART. I>A<;K
34. Different (trades of Adepts ... ... 81
35. Spiritual Contemplation
36. The four Grades of each Class of Adepts ... 87
37. Supernatural Powers of Adepts
38. Miracles and their Character ... ... 89
39. Laws regulating the Exercise of higher
Spiritual Powers ... ••• 90
40. Miracles distinguished
41. Reverses of Prophets and Adepts ••• 95
42. More common forms of Miracles ... 96
43. Adepts and Incarnations distinguished ... 99
44. Incarnations explained ••• — 100
45. An Incarnation— a Source of immense
Benefit .... ... ••• 101
46. Gifted Spirits— the Source of all Knowledge
and Blessings ... ... ... 103
47. Prophets and Incarnations — Source of all
Spiritual Knowledge ... ... 104
48. The Awakening of a New Spirit of
Research ... ... ... 105
49. Incarnations and Prophets of extant
religions — their Origin ... ... 107
50. Incarnations and Prophets of extant
religions — Proof of their Origin ... 110
51. Spiritual Regeneration ... ... 112
52. Partial Revelation preceding Incarnations 113
53. Uniform Nature of Teachings of the
Saints ... ... ... 115
54. Advent of Radhasoami Dayal ... ... 117
55. Necessity of a Living Adept for Spiritual
Training ... ... ... 119
56. The Holy Service ... ... ... 124
XXII tABlE O!1 CONTENTS
ART. PAGE
57. Distribution of Articles sanctified by Touch 129
58. Parshadi, Charanamrit, Arati, and Obeisance 130
59. Articulation of Spiritual Name ... ... 135
60. Theory of the Repetition of Holy Names
explained ... ... ... 137
61. Main Object of the Methods of Practice
identical ... ... ... 143
62. Holy Spiritual Name distinguished from
so-called Mantras ... ... 144
63. Characteristics of Spirit-force ... ... 145
64. Distinctive Character of Sounds emana
ting from Spiritual Source and from
Spiritual Currents ... ... 147
65. Explanation of the Supreme Name
Radhasoa'mi ... ... ... 151
66. Sequence of sounds Radha and Soami
explained ... ... ... 153
67. Component parts of the name Ra'dha-
soami' explained ... ... 154
68. The Origin of Forms ... ... 158
69. The Primeval Form ... ... 159
70. Sound accompanying first Commotion in
Spirit-source ... ... ... 159
71. Kabir Saheb's Reference to the Supreme
Name Radha/soami/ ... ... \Q\
72. Distinctive Features of the Efficacy of the
three Methods of Practice ... 163
73. Contemplation of Form during periods of
Interregnum ... ... ... ^55
74. Exact Processes of Devotional Methods
confidential ... ... \QQ
75. Influence of Temporal Conditions, Inclina
tions, and Desires on Practice 167
TABLE OF CONTENTS XXIII
PART III
Evolution of Creation, /. e., True Order,
Economy, and Object of Creation
ART. PAGE
76. Condition before Creation ... ... 169
77. Polarisation of the Prime Energy ... 171
78. Eternal Polarisation in the Supreme
Being ... ... ... 172
79. The Two Poles ... ... ... 172
80. The Ineffable Refulgence of the Infinite
Pole ... ... ... 174
81. The Nether Pole, Source of Creation ... 175
82. Subjective Knowledge— no Illusion ... 177
83. The Positive distinguished from the Nega
tive Pole ... ... ... 180
84. Original Spirit-entities as constituted ... 181
85. The Prime Current preceded by Commotion
in the Supreme Source ... ... 184
86. The Sound and Spirit Currents ... 186
87. The purely Spiritual Region and its six
Subdivisions ... ... ... 187
88. The Denizens of the purely Spiritual
Regions ... ... ... 189
89. Again Punish, the First Focus of the
Prime Current, and the Origin of lunar
and solar Orbs ... ... ... 192
90. Creation of the remaining four Spheres
of the purely Spiritual Region ... 196
91. Mahasunna— its six subtle Subdivisions ... 196
XXIV TABLE OF CONTENTS
ART. PAGE
92. The Emanation of Ka"l Purush and Adya ... 198
93. Evolution of the Constituents and six
Subdivisions of Brahmand... ... 201
94. The Spirituality of Brahmand and its
Denizens ... ... ... 209
95. The Denizens of the Spiritual Creation ... 211
96. The Tanmatras — the subtlest Particles of
Matter ... ... ... 212
97. The Tanmatras of Elements— the Consti
tution of Forms and Functions of the
Senses ... ... «•• 213
98. The Cause of some Gases and Substances
being odourless and tasteless ... 216
99. The Sense of Hearing subtler than the
Sense of Sight ... ... ... 219
100. Gradual Development of the Senses ... 223
101. The Field below Brahmand and the Orbital
Motions of Brahmand and Pind ... 224
102. The Combination of Qualities with Prakri-
tis forming eighty-four currents ... 226
103. The Four Classes of Existence in Pind ... 227
104. The Six Subdivisions of Pind and their
Presiding Deities ... ... 230
105. The Denizens of Pind ... ... 234
106. The Region of Hell and its Denizens ... 237
107. General Economy of the three grand
Divisions ... ... 239
108. Mahapralaya and Pralaya ... ... 242
109 The Constitution of the Denizens other
than Man ... ... ... 244
110. Incarnations of Brahm and the Supreme
Being ... — ••• 24G
TABLE OF CONTENTS XXV
ART. PAGE
111. The Constitution of Man— a perfect Micro
cosm fit for Spiritual Progress ... 249
112. The Recruitment of Human and other
Species on this Earth ... ... 254
113. Prenatal State of Spirit-entities ... 257
114. Death of Man— its Order and Process ... -261
115. The Death-process of Lower Entities ... 266
11G. The Death-process of Entities entitled to
assume Human Form ... ... 267
117. Conflict between Spirit-force and the Forces
of Nature ... ... ... 207
118. Metempsychosis — its Character and Scope .. 268
119. The four Stages of Life ... ... 272
120. Parallel of four Stages of Life in Creation ... 275
121. Four Yugas— Charming Condition of Life
and Nature in three of Them ... 276
122. Kfiliyuga — its Troubles — a Time for Eman
cipation ... ... ... 279
123. The Origin of Varieties in Creation ... 284
124. The Gracious Object of Creation ... 291
PART IV
Karma, /. e., the Actions performed by Human
Entities and their Effects on Them
125. The Penal Law of Creation— its Advan
tages ... ... ... 298
126. The Impressions on a Human Entity and
the Mode of their Preservation ... 300
127. Manakash— its Functions ... ... 302
128. Laws for the Reproduction of Impressions ... 303
XXVI TABLE OF CONTENTS
APPENDICES
APP. PAGE
A. A Brief View of the Radhasoami Faith ... 305
B. A Brief Exposition of the Radhasoami
Faith ... ... ... ... 311
C. Constitution and Bye-Laws of the Central
Council Radhasoami Satsang ... 318
D. A Brief Report on the Radhasoami Faith 333
E. Hindi Verses 337
' V * /
IJadbasoa'mi Dayal Ki Daya
l{adbasoami Sabai
f . / /
GRANT
Merciful Radhasoami
THY
GRACE AND PROTECTION
DISCOURSES
ON
RADHASOAMI FAITH
PART I
True Religion, its Object and the Condition
under which that Object is attainable
IMIELIMINAKV liKMAKKS
§1 1 K apathy which manifests itself
amongst the most intelligent classes,
specially amongst scientific men, in res
pect of religion, is due to the fact that
religious matters are more or less shrouded
in sentimentality, mysticism, arid dogmatic
faith, and are void of that practical and
matter-of-fact research which distin
guishes a scientific study. To endow
religion with practical and scientific
interest, it is ? therefore > essential that
religious research should he conducted on
the same lines as those employed in
2 TRUE RELIGION PART I
scientific research, that is to say, the
object in view should be clearly defined,
and practical measures prescribed and
adopted for the attainment of that object.
The principles and experimentations, or
the practical uovotioiial methods, of such
a scientific religion, are described in the
following pages.
2 — THE OBJECT OF RELIGION
A desire to acquire pleasure or to avoid
pain appears to be the motive of all
animate volition and acts. Involuntary
actions and thoughts of animate existence
also * to some extent partake of this ten-
; partake
dency, that is to say, there is co-opera
tion, assimilation, or acceptance of the
condition helpful or conducive to well-
being, and there is resistance or receding
in the case of a contrary condition. The
terms, ' pleasure ' and ' pain,' have been
used, here and elsewhere, in their most
comprehensive sense, including all prospec
tive and retrospective conditions, whether
LET. .*> ITS OBJECT AND KM)
appertaining to self or connected
others.
It is clear that a motive;, actuated by
the impulse described above, can find a
final resting place in such a state alone as
is entirely Tree from pain and opposition
of every description and is one of supreme
bliss. This is the object of religion in its
extreme analytical aspect. A study of
the laws of spirit-force, a clear and posi
tive knowledge of the Supreme, Creator,
% L * . CCSVvSVlXw •
and 01 the i*conomv« genesis, and the (r
A
object of creation, and of the true duty of
the sentient entity in the universe, are
other ends in view in a scientific study of
religion.
3 — PLEASURE AND PAIN
As the final object of religion, as
referred to, is the acquisition of supreme
bliss and the complete elimination of
pain, a detailed enquiry into the
phenomena of pleasure and pain would
appear to be essential for their correct
4 TRVE RELIGION' PART I
comprehension and for the selection and
adoption of such suitable means as won Id
result in the attainment of the end in
view.
4 THE SENSORY CURRENT
It is a matter of every -day experience-
that pleasure and pain are felt only when
a sentient entity is in the normal condi
tion of wakefulness. The moment the
entity passes into the condition of dream
or deep slumber, or into a condition of
trance, or that brought about by the
administration of chloroform, there is no-
perception of pleasure or pain. It is-
therefore. clear that the main factor in the-
perception of pleasure and pain is thai
something, which recedes or becomes
inoperative at the time the transmuta
tion of the wakeful condition into the
other conditions, referred to, takes place.
That something is technically known as
the sensory current. A comprehension
of the nature of this current, and the
ART. I IIS OK.JKCT AND END 5
form in wliicli it manifests itself, con
stitutes^ theivfoiv , the initial step in the
study of the phenomena of pleasure and
pain.
An examination and analysis of the
following- case of sensory action, which is
-one of every-day occurrence, would show
the true nature of the sensory current, and
would, it is hoped, remove to some exten^
the vaguenessywhich appertains to its true
nature and to its subjective functions. A
person is deeply engaged in the solution
*of an intricate mathematical problem ;
hours pass by; the clock strikes* and yet
he does not become cognizant of the time
that has elapsed, or of the striking of the
•clock. The cause of this non-cognizance
is not far to seek and can readily be stated.
The attention, by its engrossment in the
solution of the problem, was diverted from
other sides, and this resulted in the ces
sation of other perceptions, which, under
•ordinary circumstances, would have duly
produced their subjective effects. Yet
6 TRUE RELIGION PART I
the great truth and the laws, that under
lie the explanation given above, have not
been reduced to definite shapes, nor worked
up to other conditions and formula?.
The fundamental law of sensory action
would appear to be that it manifests itself
in the form of attention, and that its
strength varies directly as the intensity of
attention, disappearing entirely when
there is a complete diversion of attention.
There are innumerable shades and degrees
of attention, and in accordance with them,
the intensity of perception varies. The
law enunciated above appertains to the
phenomenon of perceptions' of all classes
as a whole. The following exposition
differentiates the main features of the two
great classes, viz., pleasure and pain, into
which all perceptions may be broadly
divided.
5— DEFINITION OF PAIN
Pain is of two classes, physical and
mental. TTo shall in the first place:
ART. 5 ITS OBJECT AND END
proceed with an examination of physical
pain. A person in normal condition
receives a sword-cut or any other physical
injury. The part injured is contused or
severed, and the nerves occupying that
part, which are the vehicles or the con
ductors of the sensory current, are similarly
affected. This condition, if analysed, shows
that a forcible ejectment of some portion
of the sensory current has taken place, and
the transmission of this condition to the
sentient entity by the unaffected sensory
currents adjoining the part injured pro
duces the sensation known as physical
pain. If, by means of hypnotic passes, or
by the administration of chloroform, the-
sensory action be stopped, which will
always be accompanied by a forgetfulness
of the physical self, i.e., by a complete
withdrawal of attention from the physical
plane, the injury will no longer be com
municated to the entity and will not,
therefore, be perceived. In the case of
mental pain that condition is produced by
O TRUE RELIGION PART I
shocks to mental associations. In all
these associations, however, the sensory
•current takes as great a part in the per
ception of mental pain as it does in the
case of physical pain. It has already
been stated ahove that the sensory current
manifests itself, and acts, by attention.
It may be mentioned here that, even in
dreams^ where the scenes are changing so
rapidly, it is the diversion of attention to
the various subjective impressions that
brings about these transmutations. In
some cases, external sounds, etc., produce a
sudden diversion, and new and sometimes
extremely queer or terrifying features are
introduced. If a careful analysis of all
conditions be made, the great importance
of attention in all subjective effects will
be established beyond doubt. It may be
stated that the conductors of sensory action,
in the case of physical pain, are the nerves,
while in the case of mental pain, due to
shocks to associations, the communion is
entirely by means of thoughts, which
MIT. 5 JTS on.JKrr AND KND
represent the various subjective forms
assumed by attention with reference to the
dilTerent impressions with which it is asso
ciated. The two states may be aptly des
cribed as analogous to telegraphy by wire
and wireless telegraphy. When there is a
mental shock or injury, there is always a
feeling of non-fulfilment of something one
wished for or cherished, a separation from
an object one was attached to by natural
affinities or otherwise, or an injury to or
loss of objects of the kind mentioned
above. In all these conditions, a forcible
severance or shock occurs to the associa
tion ; and the attention, diverted from the
groove through which it used to act,
reacts upon the mental plane and pro
duces the phenomenon known as mental
pain.
With reference to the analysis, we
have presented above, which shows that
the main factor in the phenomena of pain
of both classes is the forcible ejectment of
attention, the definition of pain in its most
TRUE RELIGION PART I
comprehensive form would be as fol
lows :—
The perception by a sentient entity
of the forcible ejectment of its sensory
currents from the physical or mental
planes that they are occupying constitutes-
the phenomenon of pain.
6 — DEFINITION OF PLEASURE
As pleasure appears to be a condition
opposite to that of pain, it would follow
that instead of the forcible ejectment of
the sensory current, which takes place in
pain, there should be a concentration
thereof. We proceed to test the ac
curacy of this conclusion by an examina
tion of the following concrete cases.
The charming effect of music, which
absorbs all attention, and which may in
extreme cases produce an ecstatic state
devoid of all other thoughts, is at once
dispelled, if a message is brought in of the
sudden and serious illness of a friend or
near relative, or if some extraordinary
\i:i. G ITS OBJECT AND KND H
occurrence, which would immediately
divert attention, takes place. If tin-
message cannot be attended to i in me
diately, the same music, which was a
source of such exquisite delight, becomes a
source of oppression and pain. Instances
can be multiplied which would show
beyond doubt that in all cases of pleasure,
it is the concentration of attention which
is the real source of delight. In further-
illustration of this truth the following
observation may be made. The attention
of a chilcLin his simplicity and inexperi
ence^ is not subject to the distractions of
grown-up manhood « and of the varied
experiences of mundane affairs. Any
thing is5therefore,sufficient to rivet atten
tion, and it is this riveting or concentra
tion of attention that produces the simple
and innocent delight of childhood. The
various mental games, which have nothing
attractive in themselves, afford great
pleasure by the exercise they give to
the concentration of attention. This is
TRUE RELIGION PART I
•another illustration in support of the truth
we have been advancing. The concen
tration of attention, besides being attended
with joy, is also refulgent, at times,
with the light of intuition, and many
hidden things flash forth and are perceived
in such a state. The pleasures which
have been described above are the various
aspects of concentration of attention,
giving rise to physical and mental happi
ness. But the analyses of pain and
pleasure have not yet thrown any light on
the inherent nature and essence of that
something which sends forth sensory
currents. We have dealt with this sub-
(\ } ject at length below. Meanwhile, it will
be sufficient to mention here that the
-essence of the spirit-force is joy, energy,
.and intelligence, that sensory currents
.are the rays of that force, and that it is
by the association of the spirit-current
with matter and mind that the entire
phenomena of pleasure and pain of this
world take place.
Airr. 7 ITS OIJ.IKCT AND i:xi>
The definition of pleasure, as derived
from the observations made above, would
l>e as follows :
The perception l>y a sentient entity
of the concentration of its sensory cur
rents in a mental or a material plane
which they are occupying constitutes the
VpvW £*!»
pleasure of this Avorld.
7 — THE STATE OF SI I'KK.Mi: IliJSS
om the qoiKfu^misiof pleasure and
pain defined above, it is clear that a state
of supreme bliss, free from pain of everv
description, is possible in such circum
stances only^as are entirely void of mental
and physical associations, and are of tin-
essence of the spirit-force. For the pur
pose of determining whether the state
of supreme bliss, referred to, is possible
and does exist, and for finding out tin-
necessary means to attain such a state,.
it is necessary to study the essence
of the spirit-force and to define its,
laws.
11 TllUE RELIGION' PART I
8 — DEVELOPMENT OF SPIRIT-FORCE
It is a matter of observation that in
whatever direction the spirit or vital
force, which imparts vitality to all animal
and vegetable existence, is subjected to
frequent and regular exercise, develop
ment takes place. On the other hand, if
its action decreases or stops in any part
of the vehicle or frame, through which
the spirit-force is acting, that part
withers or becomes inoperative. This
vital action is natural exercise and is not
an unnatural process imposed upon spirit,
It is an inherent function which the
spirit is called upon to perform in various
directions since its manifestation in
creation. The physical frame and the
senses appended to it, and its mental
Faculties, all require exercise for their
development and healthy existence. The
forms of this exercise are not the special
modes prescribed in the gymnasium or in
a training educational institution. The
responsive functions and actions evoked
ART. 1) ITS OBJJ-XT AM) KM) 15
)>y the surroundings of nature, the
inherent cravings and the needs of life,
constitute the natural exorcise imposed
ujxm tlic spirit for the development of
its physical Irani e and mental faculties.
All these functions and actions, however,
result in the association of spirit with
mind and matter. The development of
the functions and the faculties, re I erred
to, does not, however, indicate in any way
that a concomitant development of the
essence of the spirit itself is also taking
place. In other words, in all the experi
ences we ordinarily gain and the connected
actions, there is nothing which will enable
us to find out and understand what the self,
vi/., the sentient entity^ is, and where it is
located, and how it acts through the
physical and mental planes. We proceed
now to make an enquiry into this subject.
9 — DIFFERENTIATION OF MIND AND SPIRIT
It may he mentioned here that the
instrument of thinking is the mind, and
16 TIU'E RELIGION
that this is as much dependent upon the
spirit-current for its action as the senses
are for the performance of their func
tions, as like the senses, the mind becomes-
inoperative when the spirit-currents are
withdrawn from the mental plane in deep
slumber or coma, The spirit-entity should,
therefore,never be confounded with mind.
That entity is the focus of vital energy
which sends forth currents to the mental
and physical planes.
10 — DISEMBODIED SPIRITS
Prom the various extraordinary cases-
which are recorded by investigators into
spiritualism, it appears that after the
spirit has quitted the physical frame, it
is not lost or dissipated, but that it
assumes other conditions about which we
shall speak presently. The importance
of these conditions, if they really exist,
is supreme in a scientific study of the
essence and laws of the spirit-force. AVe
would 7 therefore ? suggest that the extra-
AKT. 10 ITS OIUI-XT AXD END 17
ordinary occurrences, referred to above,
be subjected to sucb tests as would
establish tliem once for all or disprove'
their accuracy. These extraordinary con
ditions, if established, would throw consi
derable light on the question of the
essence and laws of the spirit-force, and
would contribute in no small measure to
an advance in the study of the spirit -
force. Assuming for the present the
accuracy of the reports of the more
accomplished investigators into the pheno
mena of spiritualism, our enquiry leads-
to the following results: —
The first condition, after separation of
the spirit from the physical frame, is
the assumption of a subtle form known
as the astral body. The prejudices and
predilections of the spirit in this body are
more or less akin to those possessed by it
during life. In shape and colour also the
astral form resembles the original physi
cal form. From what we have mentioned
above, it would follow that the condition
B
18 TRUE RELIGION PART I
of disembodiedness, referred to, does
not liberate spirit from that mental
association which constitutes a source of
pain. The causes which brought about
the mental associations, and the' eventual
assumption of the physical frame, are not
therefore eliminated by the spirit becom
ing merely disembodied. We shall have
later on occasion to show that these
mundane prejudices, predilections, and
desires are the causes of the descent of
spirit into the physical world. and of the
assumption of the physical frame.
Unless these causes are eradicated^and, in
lieu of them, communion is established
with higher spiritual sources, the associa
tions with mind and matter will continue,
and the spirit will remain subject to
mundane pains and pleasures. The pro
positions so far established are, therefore,
that in cases of disembodied spirits,
referred to, (1) they remain subject to
pleasure and pain similar to ours, and
(2) they are not dissipated after death.
ART. 11 ITS OBJKCT AM) KM) 19
11 — SIM KIT-FORCE DISTINGUISHED FROM
THE SO-CALLED FORCES OF XATl'KK
It is hardly necessary to observe that
the spirit-force is not the result of a
combination of the forces of nature.
From a theoretical point of view such a
conclusion appears to be inconsistent with
the existing condition of the forces of
nature, as there is not a single force in
this universe which manifests itself in its
various recognised forms without a sub
stratum of the same force in the creation,
and the same remarks should apply to the
spirit-force. The following illustration
will establish the proposition we have
enunciated above. A candle is ignited and
bursts forth into a flame. If one were to
look at combustion alon^ which produces
the flame, the inference would be that
combustion, independent of every thing ?
is the cause of the flame. But such is
•not the case. It is the specific heat of
tlie constituents of combustion that is
20 TRUE RELIGION PART I
manifesting itself in an accentuated form.
This specific heat is the substratum with
out which no manifestation of heat is
possible, and the same remarks apply to
all the forces of nature. Applying the-
analogy to the spirit-force, the inference
is, that there is a substratum and reservoir
or source of the spirit-force in the crea
tion. Argumentation by analogy is not,
however, always conclusive, and concrete
facts should therefore be always sought
in a scientific research. "\Ve have already
emphasised in Article 10, the necessity for
a scientific recognition or repudiation of"
the many extraordinary facts reported-
about spirits by investigators into the-
phenomena of spiritualism, one of which
is that there are disembodied spirits. If
this fact be recognised by science, it will
constitute a proof of the most positive
character that the spirit-force is not
dependent upon the physical environment
for its existence. Furthermore, if it he-
recognised that disembodied spirits can
Airr. 11 ITS OIUECT AND EXJ) 21
have access to placesywhere access would
fiot be possible by ordinary actions in the
three dimensions, the fact of disembodied
spirits brinu endowed with subtle func
tions, Avhicli are more or less akin to those
of ether, is also established. Instances
are not wanting, which show that disem
bodied spirits enjoy an immunity from
beat and coldyvhich is not to be found in
the physical frame. This would corrobo
rate the statement that the spirits pos-
.sess ethereal or astral bodies, for heat has
very little effect, if any, on the ethereal
frame, as the temperature of ether is said
to be not subject to any appreciable
variations by the passage of heat-rays.
In these circumstances, the existing germ
theory, which assumes it as an axiom
that beyond a certain degree of heat-
teniperature the existence of germs is
impossible, Avill require modification. We
shall have to limit the theory to physical
germs, but it cannot universally be
•extended to ethereal and other subtler
22 TRUE RELIGION PART I
germs of life. A further inference may not
be improperly drawn that the coarser forms
of physical life found on this earth have
been, derived from the subtler planes,
which are not within the scope of the
physical senses, and which are as full of
vital activity and manifestations as our
own planet. This view, if accepted,,
upsets the present germ theory, and physi
cal germs should no longer be held to be
the initial seeds giving rise to higher
conditions of life. On the contrary, they
would have to be treated as extremely
feeble and diffused emanations from
higher sources and planes of spirituality.
Such a theory would also correspond with
the facts found about the other forces of
nature in this world, as heat, light, etc.,
are emanations from higher sources.
It is a matter of further observation,
drawn from many authenticated cases,
that the spiritual functions, including the
intellectual faculties, are immensely
enhanced during conditions of trance
when the physical functions are not
ART. 11 ITS 015.1 K(T AND EN'l) 23
working. In such conditions, coming
events, and occurrences taking place at ^
great distances, are correctly stated. The
inference, which we may naturally draw
from the above observation, is that a
Farther liberation of the spirit from the
subtler frames may result in the mani
festation of higher functions still, and j)
eventually in the manifestation of the
fc>
essence of the spirit itself. In such a •
condition, the spirit-entity wouTd^becohie'
a focus and source of pure intelligence,
energy, and bliss.
If we look at the various forces of
nature, leaving out for the present the
spirit-force, we find that they are depen
dent for their existence upon the media
through which they manifest themselves.
On the elimination of the medium, peculiar
to each, the energy of course remains, but
the previous form in which it was present
disappears. Take for instance the case of
chemical action. It is due, as is well
knoAvn, to the exchange of molecules,
1 TRUE RELIGION PART I
atoms, or ions. If there be a region
o
beyond the atomic and the ionic spheres
of creation, chemical action in the form
in which it is found here will not be
possible. Again, take the case of elec
tricity. If electric force acts through a
medium, this implies that there is a plane
from which the force acts, and that there
is another plane upon which it acts.
These two planes cannot be treated as one
and the same, inasmuch as the electric
force would then be always acting in the
plane it resides in, and there should not
be a latent condition of it. If the pro
position we have enunciated above be
correct, the two planes in question would
be distinct from each other, and would be
similar to two different planes of the
-dimensions Ave are familiar with. Like
any two of the ordinary dimensions, they
would, for example, be separate and yet
allied with each other. The lower plane
would be in a state either of kinetic
action, or of quiescence, in accordance
ART. 11 JTS on.JiX'T AND KM> *2~>
with the presence in, or absence from, it
•of the force from the higher plane. If
tliis lower plane he, in the case of electri
city, that subtle substance known as ether,
•the inference is irresistible that it does not
pervade all space, but that it is confined to
a sphere of its own. It appears to be
necessary to observe here that we should
not fix the limits of the space of creation
to the three dimensions we are familiar
with. There are other dimensions besides
these three, and AVC should, we think,
modify our conception of the universe as it
presents itself to us accordingly. Spheres
of far greater expanse and subtlety than
those within our observation, which per
meate and envelop everything presented to
our vision, exist unperceived and unknown.
There are numerous cases which show
that action has taken place through
them, as it was not through the three
known dimensions. We shall speak more
•ubout this in the Part dealing with the
•evolution of Creation (Rachcuid).
26 TRUE RELIGION PART I
If we analyse the other forces of
nature^it will not be difficult to show that
their existing forms vary with the change
of media. As a further illustration, we
will take up the case of heat. It is a
more or less recognised fact that the
passage of heat through the ethereal
medium hardly affects the temperature
of the latter. The inference from this
fact may not be unfairly drawn that the
constituents of the heat-condition are
different from those of ether, and that
they have very little, if any, affinity with
each other, so far as the heat-condition is-
concerned. This clearly proves that heat
is not an ethereal phenomenon, and that
the ethereal ion does not take part in it.
But other forms of matter known to us
are affected by heat. Our theory is,
that heat represents the disintegrated
particles of matter midway between ions
and ordinary elemental matter. What
ever disintegrates atoms produces the
phenomenon known as heat, although
ART. 12 ITS OBJECT AND END 27
the disintegrating cause may not be heat
itself. Energy in all its aspects can
produce such disintegration, and its-
passage through atomic regions is there
fore accompanied by a manifestation of
heat. Electricity, which is highly
charged with energy, is void of heat, but
it produces heat when it manifests itself
on the atomic plane. Xow^ eliminate the
disintegrated condition of matter y which
we have spoken of, and the phenomenon
of heat is gone. The line of argumenta
tion indicated above establishes, we ven
ture to think, the proposition— that thr
various forces of nature are entirely
dependent for their existing forms on the-
media they act through.
12 — THE FIVE ELEMENTS OF THE
ANCIENTS
This disintegrated condition of atom
was the fire element of the ancients. The-
other four elements also were not the
crude and rudimentary forms of matter,
•28
TRUE HELIGION PART I
-as they are commonly understood to be,
•but were the four other conditions of
matter, viz., solid, liquid, gaseous, and
ethereal. Thus the five elements of the
ancients represent the five conditions of
I .matter in a highly scientific series.
13 - SPIRIT, THE PRIME FORCE
We now commence an examination of
the spirit-force. Applying the process of
•elimination of media, which has already
been applied to the forces of nature, to
the spirit-force, let us ascertain as to what
happens to the latter force. For this
purpose, an examination of the conditions,
which take place at the time of death and
that of trance or coma, etc., appears to
be suitable, as in the case of death there
is a complete elimination of the physical
body, and in the other cases, the physical
form is inoperative.
The ordinary characteristics of the
•spirit, as observable by us, are—
(1) intelligence,
ART. L°> ITS on.JKTT AM) KM)
(2) J'rrlmgs of pain and pleasure*,
which are parts of the sensory
action by which perception take-
place ?and which gives rise to
volition and motor action in
many instances,
(3) thoughts and other subjective
phenomena, and
( !•) vital energy, which causes that
process of assimilation ^ which
results in the construction of the
physical frame.
Now, all these characteristics are pos
sessed by disembodied spirits .when they
manifest themselves as guardian spi
rits, ghosts, hobgoblins, etc. The same
remarks apply to the case of trance.
Over and above these characteristics, the
elimination or the cessation of the func
tions of the physical medium results in
spirits being endowed with higher powers
of senses, foresight, access to a plaiu^
which is different from the planes of the
three dimensions, etc. This leads to the
;30 TRUE RELIGION PART I
irresistible conclusion that, contrary to
the case of natural forces, the entire
functions of the spirit-force remain
unaltered by the elimination of media.
Prom what we have stated above, it should
not be inferred that all spirits on their
death are relegated to the species of
disembodied spirits. AVe shall later on
dwell at length upon the conditions which
take place at the time of death (vide
Part III, Art. 11 J±), and explain the laws
which determine the future states of
- spirit-entities of the innumerable classes
found in creation. The object of our
argument is merely to show that the
elimination of the lower media of spirit
does not produce a change in the inherent
functions of the spirit-force. On the
contrary, such an elimination adds to their
potentiality. We have already stated in
Article 9, that mind is an instrument
through which the spirit performs its
subjective functions. It is, accordingly,
also one of its media of action. Later on
ART. 13 ITS OBJKCT AND KM) 31
•
we sliall show (vide Article 21), how the
spirit-force can perform its inherent
functions without the aid of mind.
Meanwhile, it will serve our purpose to
push our argument a step further, and to
state that at each step of elimination of
the media, that surround the spirit, its
inherent functions manifest themselves
in a highly increasing progression, and
that eventually the spirit-force comes out
unalloyed as the source of prime energy,
intelligence, and hliss.
If this reasoning is correct, the infer
ence is that all the forces of nature are
dependent upon the spirit-force for their
existence. The accuracy of our argument
is corroborated by an observation of the
process of germination and development
of animal and vegetable seeds. So long
as the spirit-force is present, the various
forces and the elements of nature act in
harmony^and are helpful to the groAvth
and sustenance of the body, but the
moment the spirit makes its exit, a
32 T1U K RELIGION PART I
contrary state supervenes, and the same
forces and elements act for disintegration
and eventually go back into their old
condition. If this be true in the case of
a spirit-entity, d fortiori, it holds good in
the case of the Universal Source of Spirit
Who is the True Supreme Creator. The-
entire creation has been brought into the
condition of cosmos by the impact and
action of His spiritual currents, and the
immutable and all-wise laws have been
fixed for the sustenance and economy of
the creation by the same cause.
14 — THE SUPREME SOURCE OF SPIRIT
We have explained in the preceding
portion of this treatise that the spirit-
entity is endowed with bliss, intelligence^,
and energy. We propose now to depict
a hypothetical case of an extreme condi
tion of bliss, etc., of a spirit- entity. This>
will enable us to form some idea, though
it may be very insignificant and rough, of
the condition of the Prime and Supreme*
ART. 11 ITS OBJECT AND END 33
Source of Spirit, the True and August
Supreme Creator. It is possible to con-
crive of conditions of enrapturing ima
gery, of penetrating and refulgent intel
ligence, of intensely charming music, of
glorious beauty, and of the exquisite joys
of other senses, which may produce
extreme states of ecstasy in individual
cases. Now, if the human entity, which
is a most insignificant ray of spirit and
almost a non-entity, possesses the poten
tiality of the various kinds of enrapture-
ment we have depicted above, what must
be the inconceivable state of bliss,
intelligence, and energy of the Supreme
Spiritual Source. It is His region which
is entirely one of energy, joy, and bliss,
all mutation and dissolution,
and h immortal. The relation of the
Supreme Source of Spirit and His region,
with the other regions of creation and
their denizens, is discussed later on.
Meanwhile, it would bo sufficient to men
tion that His spiritual rays arc present
c
oreeg
and
TRUE RELIGION PART I
everywhere, but that His region is dis
tinct and away from the region of matter
and mind. This demarcation does not
introduce an element of the finite in the
Supreme Creator, just as the presence of
a cloud in the sky does not produce a
limitation in the latter. (This is dis
cussed at length in Part III, Art. 79).
15 — THE OBJECT OF RELIGION IN VIEW
We find now, where and when it is
possible to attain the object of religion
stated in the opening pages of this volume.
When the spirit gains admission into the
purely spiritual regions of the Supreme
Creator, then it becomes immortal, freed
from pain and opposition of every descrip
tion, and remains absorbed in everlasting
rapture, in the Supreme Bliss of the
majestic vision of the Supreme Creator.
16 — SPIRIT AND ITS SOURCE
We have now reached the stage where
it becomes necessary to determine the
AKT. 10 ITS OBJECT AM) KNU o.")
region of the Supreme Creator, and also
(he present location of the traveller, (lie
spirit -entity, (o that region, as unless
these (\vo matters are settled, there can
be no deliniteness and practicability in
the means undertaken for the perform
ance of the journey. As we have stated
that the spirit -force is the source of prime
energy, and .that the forces of nature are
dependent for their existence upon it, it
would not be incorrect to infer that many
common features of similarity would be
found in the spirit-force and in the
natural forces. We shall not ^ therefore^
be unjustified further to infer that the
spirit-force, like the forces of nature,
partakes of the influences of its original
-source, and that whenever it converges
and forms its focus, the conditions
brought about are, to some extent, similar
to those present in the original source,
the similarity being complete when the
converging lens or mirror does not
O o
introduce an element of obstruction. In
36 TRI7E RELIGION PART I
the physical universe, such a complete
likeness is very rarely met with, A very
near approach, however, is to he found
in the human form which is the most
developed condition of sentient entity on
this earth. In short, the study of the
human cosmos would he the most practi
cal and convenient method for a compre
hension of the universal cosnios, and for
determining roughly the various parts
into which the creation has heen divided,
and for finding out the region of Supreme
Bliss. The study of the vast expanse of
objective creation, even with the aid of
the hest appliances, would he futile, as
the scope of the physical senses does not
extend even to many of the lower suhtle
planes that exist in creation. A proper
examination of the spiritual emanations
is, therefore, the only practical course of
research for the ohject we have in view.
17 — THREE MAIN FACTORS OF HUMAN
EXISTENCE
An analysis of the human hody and its
AKT. 17 ITS OBJECT AND END 37
subjective functions discloses three main
factors in the economy of human exis
tence :—
I. The human frame and the ap
pended senses, composed of solid,
liquid, gaseous, calorific, and ethe
real conditions of matter together
with the non-intelligent forces of
nature, generated l)y the action of
energy through the medium pecu
liar to each.
II. The mind associated with antahka-
rcui (internal constitution) consist
ing of four functions, viz., (a) res
ponses at the mental plane which
give rise to thought : (1)) the
spiritual or the attention-currents,
by means of which thoughts are
projected to their objectives and
are associated with them : (c) in
telligence, which is the source of
comprehension and which is the
lustre shed by the convergence of
the spiritual current : and (d) the
38 TRUE RELIGION PART I
ego, which differentiates its com
prehension from that of others.
III. The spirit-force, which gives vita
lity to the other two main factors^
and without the help of which the
other two factors would remain
dormant and inoperative.
18 — SIX SUBDIVISIONS OF HUMAN FRAME
Besides the three main factors referred
to in the preceding Article, which repre
sent three grand divisions, as it were, of"
the microcosm, six subdivisions are fur
ther observable in the physical frame :—
(1) The ganglion at the rectum — it
performs the function of ejecting
effete matter.
(2) The ganglion at the organ of re
production — its main function is
that of reproduction, that is to
say, the formation of the seed
which will eventually develop into
the physical frame.
(3) The nervous centre at the navel—
ART. 18 ITS OBJECT AND END 39
it regulates digestion and fur
nishes physical material for the
whole frame.
(4) The ganglion known as the solar
plexus^ which is situated at the
lower end of the sternum — it regu
lates the economy of the entire
human frame^and is the region of
feeling. Cases are not unknown
where the collapse of the action of
the heart and the cessation of the
pulse did not affect the func
tions of this centre. The feelings
and the sensory and the motor
actions continued in such cases for
some time, although the action of
the heart had stopped. A shock
to this centre resulting in a cessa
tion of its functions would, how
ever, lead to a complete collapse
of the physical frame and of
its subjective functions.
(5) The ganglion at the throat — it
regulates subtle respiration.
* I
^
40 TRUE RELIGION PART I
(6) The ganglion situated midway
between the two eyes, three
quarters to one inch from the root
of the nose inwards — it is the
seat of the spirit.
The functions of the four lower ganglia
are more or less manifest; those of the
other two can only be verified and rea
lized by the performance of th^spiritual
experimentations and methods prescribed
later on. In the course of performance
of these processes, the various stages of
spiritual withdrawal preceding and attend
ing the phenomenon of death are gra
dually undergone in a fully conscious
condition, and the experiences gained
during such training furnish ample practi
cal tests of the accuracy of our statement.
If, hereafter, some scientific methods be
discovered, by means of which the lifeless
and the living portions of the body of a
dying person could be distinguished, the
application of such a test to the state
ment made above, would corroborate our
ART. 19 ITS OBJECT AND KM) 41
•
statement 9 and would perhaps, be more
satisfactory from a scientific point of
view.
19 — THE SENSORY AND THE MOTOR
CURRENTS
There are two main currents for the
working of the physical frame, the senses,
and the sy| ganglia referred to.
I. The current which conveys the
impressions within, and which im
parts vitality for necessary assimi
lation and growth. This is the
current of the spirit. Its tendency
is in ward and attractive. It mani
fests itself into two main forms,
(a) sensory and (h) structural.
The first form is found in ani
mate creation, endowed Avith sub
jective functions. These functions
work by means of nerves and other
subtler vehicles. This is the higher
form of the spirit-current and we
shall discuss the conditions of this
TRUE RELIGION PART I
form at length in the Part dealing
with the evolution of creation
(rachand). The second form,
though of a lower order, is in
dispensable for the purposes of
creation. The co-relation of these
two forms will be found fully
explained in the Part referred to,
In animate existence, the second
form is subordinate to, and depend
ent upon, the first form for the
performance of its functions, as a
complete disappearance of the-
sensory form from the physical
and subtler planes would result in
a cessation of the structural func
tion, and thus eventually lead to
a collapse of the structural frame.
II. The other current is the current
of reaction, giving rise to volitional,
motor, ejective, and destructive
actions. It regulates the outward
economy both objective and
subjective of the human frame ;.
AIIT. 10 ITS OBJECT AM) KM) \:>
and the mind is the centre from
which this current springs up. In
vegetable existence, the volitional
function is entirely absent, and the
motor, too, is mainly found only in
the form of growth ; the last two
functions, however, are as strong,
if not stronger, as in animal
existence. The mind-centre, which
in its kinetic form is associated
with subjective function, is latent
in vegetable life — so, too, the
spirit -cent re, so far as subjective
actions are concerned. Like the
structural form of the spirit-
current, the mind or the outward
current is also dependent for its.
action upon the spirit-force, as all
work performed by the outward
current comes to a standstill^when
the spirit-current is wholly with
drawn.
It is clear, from what we have stated
above, that the mind and the spirit-
TRUE RELIGION PART I
currents have, by their joint action,
produced the physical frame and the six
ganglia, the spirit furnishing the energy,
vitality, and subjective functions through
the mental plane.
20 — THE REGION OF UNIVERSAL MIND
AND ITS SIX SUBDIVISIONS
How the feelings and predilections and
prejudices of the mind affect the corporeal
frame may be explained by the following
illustration. A person is short-tempered
and flies into rage^iii and out of season, at
trifles. The muscles of his face, by being
constantly worked into a particular groove
during fits of anger, permanently retain
that formf so much so that they are
carried to his progeny. This illustration,
when reduced to a proposition, implies
that the prevalent impulse of mind is
reflected upon the physical frame, and that
it is further carried forward in the process
of procreation. If this proposition holds
good in the case of temporary conditions
ART. 20 ITS OBJECT AND END 45
all'ecting the individual, mental, and spiri
tual planes, a fortiori, it applies to the
universal creational planes and centres of
mind and spirit. From the line of argu
ment \vr have adopted above, it would
follow that beyond the regions of creation
corresponding to the regions of the six
ganglia in the human microcosm, there
must be a vast region of Universal Mind
associated Avith spirit, and that it com
prises six subdivisions similar to those
found in its emanations in the corporeal
frame.
The region, referred to, is technically
known as ' Brahmand,' which in its literal
sense means the egg-shaped sphere of
3^ rail m (Universal ]\Iind). The region
of Brahmand also includes the region
known as Para-Srahm Pad (region
beyond that of Brahm). Without the
inclusion of this latter region in Brahmand
the series of the six subdivisions of
Brahmand would be incomplete, and the
correspondence of the six subdivisions
16 TRUE RELIGION PART I
in the individual frame with those in
Brahmand, of which the former are reflex
images, would no longer be possible.
We have stated in Article 18 that the
spirit-centre is situated in the sixth gang
lion and that the fifth and fourth ganglia
are the seats of subtle respiration and mind
respectively. The nerve-centres obser
vable by us in them and other ganglia are
made up of physical constituents, while
the respective force-centres which are
associated with them are subtle. These
force-centres hold communion with their
respective subtle planes in creation. It is
also observable that the spirit or vital
-energy has been supplied to these nerve-
centres through the mental plane, as a
complete stoppage of the functions of the
fourth or mind ganglion will result in a
collapse of the physical frame. The six
ganglia are accordingly worked by the
spirit-centre in conjunction with mind.
The same remarks apply to the six sub
divisions of Brahmaiid. In accordance
\KT. 20 US oll.lKCT AND KND 1-7
with tin's \ iew, there1 must be a vast spirit-
centre associated with mind in the region
of Brahmand. Beyond its existence,
nothing positive is, however, known about
this ft Mit re to the Yedic religion or rather
to the Vedanta philosophy. Allusion has
accordingly been made about it by a
negation only. This is known to the Vedas
as the neti (not this), and is the same
as the Para-Brahm region. It is, however,
as separate from Brahm as our spirit-
centre is separate from mind. But they
are both associated with each other like
individual spirit and mind. The apparent
•contradiction involved in the above state
ment may be removed to some extent by
applying to it the analogy of the concomi
tant association and separation of the
various dimensions. The third dimension,
for example, is associated with the second
dimension, and is yet away from the latter.
The association takes place at the j tincture
•of the two dimensions ; but the association
alone is not sufficient tor a comprehension
48 TRUE RELIGION PART I
of the higher dimension. This is the
reason, why the manifestation of actions
from a higher dimension upon those
known to us is not sufficient for a study
of the higher dimension, although such
manifestations prove the existence thereof
A similar cause led to the non-comprehen
sion by the Vedic religion of the spirit-
centre we have referred to, as from what
we gather of the esoteric teachings of that
religion, its knowledge does not extend
beyond the sphere of Brahm (Universal
Mind). We have discussed at great
length the conditions and details of the
spirit-centre in question in the Part
devoted to creation. Our object in refer
ring here to the Vedic and Vedantic allu
sion to the centre in question is to remove
the misconception, which would otherwise
arise in comprehending the term ' Brah-
mand,' as used by us. We use it in a more
comprehensive sense than that accorded
to it by the Vedic religion, and the term
includes Para-Brahm Pad. The Yedic
ART. 20 ITS OBJECT AND END 11)
expression docs not include this region.
The three higher spheres of Brahmand
in accordance4 with our religion, which
corresponds to the esoteric religion of
/ /
Saints, such as Kabir Saheh, Jagjivari
Sahcb, etc., are 'Sunna* (spirit-sphere),
'Trikuti' (the place of three promi
nences), and the ' Sahasdal Kamal ' (the
thousand-pedalled lotus). The presiding
power of the first sphere is ' Akshar ' (the
Imperishable). He is associated here
with the highest form of the Universal
Mind (Brahm), technically known as
' Punish' (Deity). The Punish (Brahm)
after receiving the necessary spiritual
energy from ' Akshar ' here acted upon
Prakriti (Nature) and produced the sphere
of Brahmand. As we have, at great length,
descrihed these spheres and the functions
of these deities, etc., in the Part dealing
with creation, we shall merely mention
the names of the presiding deities of
the remaining two of the higher set of
the spheres referred to, and also the
50 TRUE RELIGION PART I
correspondence of those spheres with the
ganglia in the human microcosm. The
presiding deity of Trikuti is ' Brahm ' and
that of the next lower sphere, ' Niranjan.'
Thus, there are three forms of Brahm and
they are technically known as, abyakrita,
(unmanifested), Idranyagarva (gold-becj,
i. £., manifested source), and birdt (mani
fested mass). This corresponds with*the \jl
three forms of our mental ego found in
-deep slumber (trance), dream, and. the
wakeful conditions. As the form of. the
ego is not ordinarily manifested in deep
slumber, we have mentioned the extraor
dinary condition of trance to prove our
statement, inasmuch as the manifestation
of the ego takes place in that condition,
and it is higher than that of deep slumber.
The three forms of the individual ego are
known as, prajna (latent consciousness
in deep slumber, i. e., in instrumental
form), taijas (consciousness in dream,
i. <?., in subtle form), and lishwa
(consciousness in the wakeful condition,
ART. 20 II s OH.II-XT AND END 51
/. <"., in gross form). The individual spirit
and its centre are, of course, separate
from these three forms, although they
impart vitality to the entity. The three
higher ganglia in tlie human frame are
associated with the three forms respec
tively. The ganglia and the individual
forms in question correspond to the
three higher spheres of Brahmand and
I lie three forms of Brahm.
The three lower spheres of the region
of the Universal ^lind are the centres or
spheres of destructive, generative, and
preserval i ve Dualities. The destructive
quality removes effete matter, lie is the
4 Shiva ' of the Shdstras, the centre of des
tructive activity. The power of assimila
tion and subsequent generation is the
generative4 quality known as 'Brahma.'
The third, viz., the preservative quality or
• Vishnu,' supplies spirituality and energy
to the two other qualities and preserves a
proper equilibrium in their actions. The
i-eilections of these qualities are to be
52 TRUE RELIGION PART I
found Loth in the animate and in the
inanimate existence. The cohesive force4,
which maintains the forms of the various
elements and their compounds, is the pre
servative quality of inanimate existence.
The process of destruction which is ever
in progress in demolishing existing struc
ture, and the ionic How which reconsti
tutes atoms and molecules of various
bodies, are the other two qualities in the
same form of existence. In the vege
table and the animal kingdom, the reflex
images of these qualities are much more
marked. The reflections of the higher
forms of Brahman d are not traceable
in inanimate existence, as spirit-force
endowed with subjective functions is
latent in that form, and the higher forms
are peculiar to the subjective condition of
the spirit-force. In animal existence, the
ganglia at the rectum, the reproductive
organ, and the navel are the manifest
centres of the three qualities referred to,
while in a lesser degree they are found
ART. 21 ITS OBJECT AND END 53
tis the llower, loaf and bark-casting, the
«><Hl-forming, and the growth-sustaining
I'u net ions in the vegetable existence.
From what we have explained above, it
is clear that the correspondence of the six
subdivisions of Brahmand with those of
the human frame is complete, and we
now proceed farther with our enquiry to
iind out the region of pure spirit, the
object of our religious research.
21 — THE REGION OF PURE SPIRIT
We have seen that the individual mind
is subordinate to the spirit-entity, and
i hat it receives the necessary energy and
intelligence from the spirit for its action,
and that it is also associated with the
individual spirit. The same remarks apply
to the region of the Universal Mind. The
observations made above, although they
throw considerable light on the internal
relation between spirit and mind, are not
alone sufficient to determine the position
occupied by the regions of pure spirit
54 TRUE RELIGION PART I
in creation. We accordingly proceed to
investigate the subject from other points
of view.
We have shown in Article 13 that the
elimination of the physical frame — in
cluding its various subtle forms — of an
individual spirit-entity results in the
enhancement of its various functions and
also in the acquisition of new powers.
We have further shown in Article 9 that
the mind is an instrument through which
the spirit performs its various subjective
functions, and that the former becomes
inoperative on the withdrawal of the
spirit-current from it. The inference from
this proposition is that the individual
mind is a medium of the spirit, entirely
similar to the corporeal medium. The
elimination of the mental medium from
the spirit-entity would accordingly lead
to the same results, as take place in the
case of elimination of the physical frame.
^Functions of a purely spiritual order, of
which the mental functions are the reflex
ART. 21 ITS OBJECT AND END 55
images, would then manifest themselves,
O '
and the scope of these functions would he
immensely greater than that of the mind.
The three main inherent attrihutes of the
spirit-force, which are prime energy,
intelligence, and hliss, would he the predo
minant characteristics of all spirit-func
tions, and pain would he unknown. If
wo apply the conclusion arrived at to
Brahmand, the a posteriori inference
would he, that the elimination of the
medium of the Universal Mind from the
Universal Spirit-Centre would bring out
the region of pure spirit, and thus enable
us to locate in creation the goal of our
research. The case is, however, to some
extent, otherwise, as the inference,,
referred to, does not indicate why Brahm
was created and associated with the
Universal Spirit-Centre , and why he
should he at all disassociated from that
Centre. This subject is explained at great
length in the Part devoted to creation.
For the present, it will serve our purpose
TRUE RELIGION PART I
to state briefly that the pure spiritual
region, which is beyond Erahm^nd, also
contains six subdivisions. It was in
consequence of the existence of these
divisions that the impact of the pure
spirit-force upon the region of Brahmand
produced six similar subdivisions in it.
22— COMMUNION OF THE MICROCOSM
WITH THE MACROCOSM
The correspondence and communion
of the microcosm with the macrocosm
takes place by means of apertures in the
microcosm. The main factor of the
communion is, however, the spirit or the
sensory current permeating these aper
tures. The communion and the conse
quent perception are effected in the
manner indicated below. We will take
up the case of the sense of touch first.
The corporeal constituent of the physical
frame is the instrument of this sense, and
when it is affected, the feeling of touch,
whether it be agreeable or otherwise, is
A in. 22 ITS OBJECT AND END 57
<'.\|)rrioncecl. AYe have used the term,
ivfrnvd to, in its most comprehensive
MMise, including flesh, skins, muscles,
bones, etc. The action upon this instru
ment is conveyed within by means of the
sensory currents present in its pores
which are to be found everywhere. If
these pores were shut up, or if the
currents were withdrawn from them,
there would be no feeling of touch. A
similar action takes place in the case of
the other senses. Each has an instru
ment peculiar to it, and also contains a
constituent similar to that of the object
perceived by it, "\Vith this constituent
the sensory currents are associated. Take
for instance, the case of the sense of sight.
There is light in the optic nerve, and this
is the peculiar constituent of the sense of
sin-lit, by means of which a communion
with the outward light takes place, and
the latter is perceived. To make the
proposition clearer, we would analyse the
of light on the sense of sight.
58 TRUE RELIGION PART I
After penetrating the crystalline lens,
light produces the images of outward
objects upon the retina. The perception
of these images takes place thereafter by-
means of the optic nerve and of the sen
sory currents present in that nerve. The
optic nerve which is phosphorescent con
tains light, and by means of it, the
communion with the outward light is
established. The process of perception is
then completed by the sensory currents.
The above remarks hold good, with the
necessary changes, in the case of the other
senses also (vide detailed explanation of
this subject in Part III, Art. 97). The law
accordingly is that, for the perception of
the macrocosm, the spirit-current must be
associated at the proper apertures in the
microcosm with substances and powers
similar to those that exist in the macro
cosm. Communion between the various
spheres of creation and the nervous
centres which correspond with them is
established in accordance with the law
ART. 22 ITS OBJECT AND END
specified above. To effect such a
communion, a special course of training
is, however, necessary, as hy means ol
sucli training alone the innermost fane-
lions of the nervous centres (which
ordinarily lie dormant) are developed and
brought up to that condition in which
correspondence is possible. In the macro
cosm, the presiding deity of the lowest
sphere of creation is ' Ganesh,' the son of
Shiva, the destructive quality. If the
inner aperture and functions of the lowest
nervous centre which corresponds to this
sphere he developed, communion with the
sphere of Ganesh and with him would he
established, and the devotee would acquire
to some extent the functions and powers
of Ganesh. Similarly, the remaining' five
nervous centres of the human frame can
be brought into communion with the five
spheres of the macrocosm. The part ol'
the creation, which is within our view
and which contains the sun ^planets, ±. *
oter, a»d the stars,"contams six main 'j^t
TRUE RELIGION PART I
subdivisions or spheres. They correspond
with the six nervous centres referred to.
Beyond this part of creation is the region
of the Universal Mind, which cannot be
perceived by the physical senses, or any
appliances appertaining to them. Details
of these divisions of creation, and of the
purely spiritual region, are given at great
length in Part III. At present we shall
merely explain how communion is pos
sible with the regions of Brahmand and
with those of the pure spirit.
23 — THE BRAIN AND ITS FUNCTIONS
In the structure of the human frame
the brain is the most extraordinary organ.
The functions of all its parts are, how
ever, not quite understood. Different
parts of the brain have no doubt been
mapped out with reference to the parts
they play in regulating the lower struc
ture. For instance, there, is the speech-
centre in the braiii/me ^centre which
-regulates locomotion, etc., etc., but the
ART. 23 ITS OBJECT AND EM) (jl
knowledge we possess of the functions o!'
the brain is of a most superficial charac
ter and is quite incommensurate with the
economy of this wonderful apparatus In
support of our statement we would make
the following observation^. A person
i;-oes into the condition of trance, or is-
rendered senseless by the administration
of chloroform. The substance of the
brain (both grey and white), which
appears to be the source from which all
lower nervous centres have been gener
ated, also becomes insensitive and shave-
the condition of the rest of the physical
frame. The inference from this observa
tion is that the spirit-centre is not in the
substance of the brain, and that its focus
is situated in a plane altogether different
from the plane of brain-matter. Another
inference from the same observation is
that the plane of sensory action is
also other than that of the substance of
the brain. In the lower animals, a per
ceptible diminution is traceable in the
<32 TRUE RELIGION PART I
1 unctions of the brain, and a stage is
reached where the ani&ial becomes
entirely independent of the brain for its
existence. If we go further down in the
scale of creation, all trace^of the brain
entirely disappear/, and yet the process
of assimilation and other concomitant
functions of life exist. In the vegetable
kingdom the nerves and the ganglia do
not exist, and yet growth and sustenance
of vegetable existence take place. This
clearly indicates that the nerves, the ner
vous centres, and the brain, which is, as it
were, the reservoir of nerve-po\ver, have
other important functions to perform
which are distinct from the functions of
growth and sustenance of the physical
frame. Those functions are subjective,
and perception and volition are the two
main branches thereof. The powers of
perception and volition are, however, not
always dependent upon the nerves, etc.,
for the performance of their functions.
This is proved demonstratively in the case
ART. 23 ITS OBJECT AND END 63
of disembodied spirits (vide Article 10).
The cessation of the functions of nerves^
&d, during trance, etc., wliich is attended
at times by a manifestation of powers
which are not ordinarily found in the
normal state of human life, corroborates
the same truth. These extraordinary
powers clearly indicate that the human
frame is possessed of potentialities which
may by proper training* endow the devotee
with ['unctions possessed by disembodied
spirits and by higher beings. Thought-
reading, and the power of abstracting
articles from such places as do not admit
of access, are instance-; which corroborate
our statement. These instances are
instructive otherwise also, and show that
the scope of the subjective economy of
humanity is very much wider than that
we assign to it. As we shall presently
explain, these observations give us a clue
to the secrets of the microcosm.
The ordinary functions of the human
frame, including the entire i,ervou>
64 TRUE RELIGION PART I
system^ consist of the life-giving, life-
sustaining, and the responsive powers.
This proposition broadly includes all the
ordinary physical and subjective condi
tions of human life. Underlying the
planes of these functions, there are subtler
planes within the nervous system, and the-
innermost part of each nervous centre is
associated with the subtle plane peculiar
to it. When these subtle planes are acted
upon through the nervous centres, the?
communion with the macrocosmic spheres
corresponding with them is established,
and the powers of the presiding deities of
these spheres are imbibed. The brain
from which all the lower nervous centres-
have been generated is similarly associated
with very subtle planes. They do not
belong to the part of the creation within
our vision but to the higher regions of
creation, viz., to those of the TJriversal
Mind^and of the source of the pure spirit—
the true Supreme Being. By developing
the latent powers of these planes in the
AUT, 1? I ITS OBJECT AND KM) (I.")
brain, communion can be established with
Hralnn and the true Supreme Creator.
This function of the brain constitutes the
supreme importance <>!' the origan in the
economy of the microcosm. AVe now
proceed lo indicate where the subtler and
hi-her planes, referred to, are associated
in the brain.
'21 -THE UK MX .VXD ITS AI'KIHTKKS
In the fissure between the two lobes of
the brain there are twelve apertures which
provide the means for communion with
the six subdivisions of Brahmand and
with the* six subdivisions of the purely
spirit ua-l region. The? a peri ures appertain-
in- to Hrahmand are to be found in the
grey matter, and those appertaining to
the purely spiritual region, in the white
matter. So far as the matter of the brain
is concerned, whether it be grey or white,
it is of very little importance. The
innermost quarters within thSlfl^means
of which the microcosm is associated with
E
66 TRUE RELIGION PART I
Brahmand and the purely spiritual regions,
are of supreme importance, and they are
indispensahle in our research. The fol
lowing illustration, although it is rather
of a rough character, will make our pur
port clearer. There is a slit in a wall of
a dark room by means of which solar
rays find access within. The opening
itself is not composed of the materials of
the wall, hut it is in it. A person placed
in this room would have to resort to the
opening for holding communion with the
rays^and for getting out of the room, if he
could become so subtle as to ride on the
rays. Similarly, the innermost localities
of the apertures of the brain, referred to,
will have to be sought for holding com
munion Avith the higher spheres, and for
eventually gaining access into the region^
of Brahmand and those beyond them.
The explanations given above are neces
sarily in the nature of ex cathedra state
ments, but they can be fully verified by
the performance of the experimentations
fr. :25 ns OBJECT AND END 67
ft^t^iC^C^i
devotional methods prescribed for the
development of the brain-centres.
:>.") — PRACTICE OF DEVOTIONAL METHODS
VI TENDED BY INCREASED VITAL ENERGY
Ul(l remark here that tne
methods or experimentations,
prescribed for holding communion with
higher spiritual spheres, result in increas
ing the vital energy, and also in infusing
spirituality of the higher planes into the
devotee. His physical frame, thus, bene
fits by the increase of spirituality, and
eventually the diffused spirituality of the
devotee, while he is in a condition of
trance during the devotional practices,
is sufficient for carrying on the functions
of the human body. The proposition we
have stated above may be confirmed by
the analogy of the diffused light of the
sun, which is stronger than any ordinary
light we can produce. The practice, we
have referred to, keeps the devotee ever
-conscious of what is taking place within
68 TRUE RELIGION I'ARTI
him, and also of outward occurrences.
Even when the stage of death is reached.
the power of consciousness is not affected.
At that stage and thereafter, his connec
tion Avith the physical frame is somewhat
similar to that of a hody possessed hy a
disembodied spirit.
PART II
Methods of Spiritual Development and
of the Elevation of the Spirit
'2(> -SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT
I" U survey of the correspondence of
the macrocosm with the micro
cosm is now complete. The location of
tho spirit and the region where it will
attain supreme and everlasting bliss, have
also boon determined. The means and
methods for reaching that region and for
o o
traversing the intervening spheres and
space* remain to be found out. They are
explained below.
The preliminary stop for the com
mencement of the journey is the develop
ment of the inherent powers of the spirit.
! 1 will then be endowed with the neces
sary energy for going up to the spiritual
region. Since the spirit has made its
advent into the material regions of
70 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
creation, the impressions upon it and its^
responsive actions are those appertaining'
to the material or lower worlds. Its out
ward currents, namely, those associated
with mind and matter have, accordingly,
derived energy and strength, while the
inward spiritual force has remained latent.
If inward impressions he produced upon
the centre of spirit similar to those
appertaining to the outward current,
the latent powers of the spirit will be
developed, and the spirit will be endowed
with the necessary impulse and energy to
commence the journey to higher regions.
27 — SOUND, SIGHT, AND SPEECH — ESSEN
TIAL FACTORS OF EXISTENCE
Before we explain the principles of the-
methods* prescribed for the concentration
or the development of the spirit-force
and for its elevation to higher regions,
* The actual methods are explained at the time of initiation,
after the conditions imposed for initiation have been accepted.
These conditions are specified fully in Art. 74.
ART. 27 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 71
we would make a small digression. The
object is to elucidate the proposed expla
nation.
The main media for the experience
of the physical world and for expressing
our experiences are the senses of sound,
sight, and speech. These, thus, constitute
the initial means for the supply of the
needs of the physical frame. Further, if
these three functions were to become
inoperative, the subjective powers would
either disappear^or they would undergo
considerable deterioration, and existence
would be short.
The above remarks also apply to the
senses and the subjective functions of the
subtler and higher planes. But as they
do not take an active part in the main
tenance of the physical frame, their
inoperative condition does not affect the
physical existence. As these functions
are not subjected to any regular training-
or exercise in the microcosm, they lie dor
mant, and the purpose for which they art"
72 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
provided in the human economy is not
served. The methods of devotion and
training prescribed in the religious sys
tem we are explaining, represent, respec
tively, three different forms of spiritual
exercise for the development of the three
functions in question. The three forms
of the exercise are :— ( 1 ) utterance of the
spiritual name by the spirit-current, (2)
contemplation of the spiritual form, and
(3) attentively listening to the spiritual
sound.
As disembodied spirits at the time of
their apparition on the physical plane
perform the three functions, referred to,
on that plane, obviously they are possessed
of subtler powers of the same description.
It is by means of these powers that they
become cognisant of occurrences. which are
beyond the scope of the physical senses.
The functions of sight, hearing, and ex
pression are not,therefore,confiiied to the
physical planes known to us ; they also
exist in the subtler planes, and their scope
AKT. L'S SPIRIT i:U.\ ATION 7X
is inuc-li greater than the scope of the
same functions on the physical plane. The
methods of spiritual exercises, we propose
to explain, are not 1 herefore imaginary, and
the same trials should be accorded to them
as those accorded to scientific principles.
1^ 'HIE THREE DIMENSIONS NOT AFFECTED
BY CREATIONAL FORCES
In the economy of creation, each set of
three dimensions is separated from each
other in such a manner that the creational
forces of different intensity and subtlety,
peculiar to each, do not affect any other
set. AVithout an arrangement of this des
cription, the gradational arrangement of
cn^ition would not be possible, and the
advent of higher powers on lower planes
would produce results similar to those pro
duced by electric currents when resistance
is encountered by them in the course of
their action. In Part III,, dealing with
creation, we have fully described how the
various sets of three different dimensions,
74 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
etc., are related to, and separated from,
each other. The object of our present
remarks is merely to point out that the
immense creational powers, acting through
planes ordinarily not known to us, should
not be ignored. These powers, as shown in
Part III, are accompanied by tremendous
sounds^and their effect upon the devotee is
immense,when his subtle faculties of hear
ing become sufficiently developed to per
ceive them.
There are two classes of sounds:—
(1) the spiritual sound, whose tendency
is inward and attractive, and
(2) the material and mental sound,
whose tendency is of an opposite
character (for full explanation
vide Art. 64).
29 — SOUND, AN EXPRESSION OF THE FORCE
PRODUCING IT
We would observe here that all sounds
are more or less imbued with the charac
teristics of the force which produces
AIM. 29 SITKIT ELEVATION < •">
them. Take, for instance, the case of
reports produced by gunpowder^ or by any
other highly explosive substance. When
the explosion takes place, a very large
quantity of gaseous substance is at once
generated at one spot. The result is a
sudden and powerful shock to the sur
rounding media. The suddenness and the
intensity of the shock become a prominent
component of the report, and the peculiar
sound which accompanies it unmistakably
indicates that component. In the case of
articulate sounds also, the proposition
enunciated above holds good. The subjec
tive conditions which give rise to articu
late sounds are represented in them, and
the manifestation of feeling by this method
varies in accordance with the character
and intensity of the generating impulse.
In the brute creation, where the spiritu
ality is of a low order, the sounds denote
only rudimentary feelings ; but, in man,
the intonation can he adapted to thr
expression of highly intellectual thoughts
76 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
and of beautiful imagery. The effect pro
duced by the utterances of a man of
genius is an illustration of the truth.
Ordinary persons, too, when they are
vigorously swayed by passions and
feelings, give expression to them in
such language and tone as cannot be
mistaken. The melting utterances of a
mother to her infant, the sad sounds of
lamentation caused by bereavement, tin*
Avar-cries of soldiers, are other illustrations
of the effect of feelings in articulate
sounds. If insignificant humanity is
capable of producing such great effects by
means of sound, ho\v immense must be
the spiritual effect of that sound which
accompanied the original outburst of the
Prime Energy, viz., the spirit-force, in the
beginning of creation.
30 — THE COURSE OF SPIRITUAL SOUND
IS ALWAYS INWARD
Our ordinary idea of an outburst is that
some outward flow of force from the
uT. JJO Sl'IKIT I l.K\ ATION 77
centre to the circumference takes place in
such cases. \Ve have, however, used the
term otherwise. l>y the spiritual out
burst, we mean a manifestation <>r the
Prime Energy which was latent pre
viously. As the action of the spirit-force
is inward and attractive, the effect pro
duced hy the sound which accompanied
its manifestation must also have been
inward and attractive. This original out
burst lias given its impress to all spiritual
sounds, thus endowing them with the
attributes mentioned above. AVheii they
are listened to, an inward stress of great
intensity is accordingly felt by the spirit -
entity. A regular performance of this
method of devotion results in the spirit
being inwardly attracted or drawn up
towards the higher spiritual planes from
which the spiritual sounds proceed. The
sound-practice thus constitutes the pro
cess for the elevation of the spirit.
Spiritual sounds are, however, very subtle.
and they cannot be properly heard, until
78 SPIRIT- DEVELOPMENT PART II
the latent forces of the spirit have been
developed, to some extent, .by the other
two modes of devotion^xjnainea' below.
The perception of the true spiritual
sounds of higher spheres is an advanced
stage of spiritual training. The perform
ance of sound-practice is not, however,
deferred for a long time on this account.
It is commenced after the devotee has
undergone training in the methods of
contemplation and name- utterance for a
period of six weeks or two months. An
explanation of the methods of spiritual
contemplation and articulation is noted
beloAV.
31 — ORDINARY METHODS OF CONTEMPLA
TION NOT PURELY SPIRITUAL
The creation may be broadly divided
into two divisions, the animate and the
"inanimate. As the highest form of ani
mate creation in this world is man, it may
be inferred that the contemplation of his
form is the contemplation of the highest
ART. 31 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 7!)
spiritual form. Such is »et, however, the
case. The intelligence of man is operative
only during the state of wakefulness.
During dream, it is under the sway of
impressions and it disappears completely
when, the premises of deep slumber are
reached. The contemplation of the form
of man, would not, therefore, be the
contemplation of a purely spiritual form,
but one of a physical form, possessed of
a limited amount of intelligence and
knowledge.
If we think of the Supreme Being as
an infinite expanse, something like the
ethereal sky, and contemplate Him in
that form, it would be merely a contem
plation of a subjective conception derived
from physical experience. A contempla
tion of this description is not also, there
fore, a pure spiritual contemplation.
32 — ALL FEELINGS REFLECTED OX FACE
Before stating the true spiritual
contemplation, we would, for the sake of
80 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART U
elucidation, make a small digression. It
has already been stated in Article 20
that strong feelings are reflected upon
the face, and that the reflections are
engraved thereon if they are frequent.
This proposition is not, however, confined
to strong feelings ; it holds good in some
measure in the case of all feelings.
Ordinarily, the reflections are noticeable
in the case of strong feelings onlv^
but men of experience and gifted people
can read individual characters^ and also
hidden feelings by means of facial
peculiarities, that is to say, by means
of the subtle reflections engraved upon
the countenance. This establishes the
proposition we have enunciated, and we
now proceed with the subject under
explanation.
33 — RESPONSIVE ACTION EVOKED BY
MEANS OF FACIAL EXPRESSION
Facial peculiarities and expression
evoke responses somewhat similar to those
ART. 34 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 81
evoked by feelings communicated by
means of sound. There are abundant
illustrations in support of this observation.
The affectionate responses of lovers
towards each other, the hilarity evoked by
the features of comic actors, are instances
which will serve our purpose. Thoughts,
viz., recollections of such expression also,
produce feelings of the same description.
A VI i en such thoughts are regularly gener
ated for the purpose of evoking spiritual
feelings, the process is technically known as
spiritual contemplation. It need hardly be
remarked that a pure spiritual form alone
would produce spiritual feelings, and we
now proceed to find out such a form. A
description of spiritual adepts of various
classes and of their characteristics would
be helpful in the research we have now in
hand. "VVe accordingly describe them below.
34 — DIFFERENT GRADES OF ADEPTS
In the portion of this volume devoted
to the correspondence of the microcosm
F
82 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
with, the macrocosm, we have already
explained that the communion with the
various spheres of creation takes place
by means of apertures in the various
ganglia and in the brain. A person,
who has succeeded in developing the six
nervous centres of the physical frame
(technically known as Pind), is an adept
of the third or the material division of
creation. He has not yet crossed the
threshold of death, but has traversed
the planes of dream, deep slumber, and
trance. He is thus acquainted with the
entire creation we see, including their
subtle conditions. A person, who has
reached the first sphere of Brahm or
the Universal Mind, and who has over
come death, is a Yogi. Similarly, adepts
who have access to the second and third
spheres of Brahm, viz., to Trikuti and
Sunna, are Yogeshicars and Sddhs or
Mahdtmds respectively. Those who have
access to the purely spiritual regions
beyond Brahm and (the second division of
ART. 35 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 83
creation) are Sanfs (Saints). A Saint who
has reached the highest sphere of the
purely spiritual regions, the abode of the
true Supreme Creator or Prime Origin of
Spirituality, is known as Param Saut
(Supreme Saint).
35 — SPIRITUAL CONTEMPLATION
All feelings of strong character are
always due to a high state of excitement,
but the highest pitch of frenzy to which
humanity can be tossed does not
approach the perturbations which accom
pany the passage of a spirit-entity from
the ordinary plane of wakefulness to
! hat of death and to the regions beyond
it. As, however, the passage is inward,
the outward manifestations do not appear
to be so strong as those produced by the
ordinary conditions of excitement. In
the stages preceding death, the muscles
and the entire physical vehicle are, how
ever, gradually twisted, and when death
supervenes, the effect of internal torsion,
84 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
which is terrible, is unmistakably
impressed upon them. The same condi
tions are very gradually produced by the
performance of the internal spiritual
experimentations or devotional practices.
The physical frame of a .devotee, accord
ingly, undergoes a complete change, and
the constitution of his nervous system,
muscles, &c., is so altered that no resis
tance takes place in the process of sepa
rating spiritual currents from the physi
cal frame, i. e., in undergoing the process
of death. Outward marks of these changes
are not entirely absent from the physical
frame, and they are largely manifest in
the subtler frames. The outward marks
are specially noticeable on the forehead
and in the eyes of an adept, and the effect
of these marks on advanced devotees in
producing concentration and sublimation
of spirit is very remarkable. An adept
who has reached Brahmand is beyond the
region of creation that we see, and he
performs ordinary acts from the planes
ART. 35 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 85
of Brahmand. His face thus reflects the
spirituality of Brahmand. Similarly, all
actions of Saints and Supreme Saints are
performed by spiritual currents coming
down from the pure regions of spirit.
The contemplation of the image of an
adept of Brahmand would, therefore, he a
contemplation of the image of the spiri-
lual form of Brahmand, and the contem
plation of the form of a Saint would be
the contemplation of a form of pure
spirituality. The contemplation of the
form of a Saint or Supreme Saint, or in
their absence, the contemplation of the
form of a Sddh or Mahdtmd, has accord
ingly been prescribed as the spiritual
contemplation .referred to by us. The
•effect of association with forms, in the
case of those for whom we cherish an
•affection, has been explained in Article 33.
In the case of adepts, this effect is much
more intense, as it is not the association
.alone which gives rise to the effect.
Adepts have access to all the subtle
86 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
planes of the various spheres they have
traversed and gained access to. They
accordingly become cognisant of the con
templation of their forms, as soon as this
process of devotion is performed, and
accord the necessary help to the devotee.
This assistance is always accorded in an
imperceptible form during the practice of
contemplation, but a devotee of some
experience recognises it in the spiritual
concentration produced at the spirit-centre
by it. To strengthen faith and to stimu
late fresh impulse, an adept, however,
allows devotees to get glimpses, at times,of
his astral forms.
The contemplation of the image of an
adept of Erahmand, i. e., of the second
division of creation, is no doubt highly
spiritual and goes far towards awakening
spirituality, but, unless the form of an
adept of the purely spiritual or the first
division of creation be contemplated, a
development of the spirit-force, detached
from the association of the Universal
ART. 36 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 87
Mind, will not be possible. The company
of such an adept and of those engaged in
spiritual training under his guidance is
also indispensable in the beginning for
spiritual development, as the personal
spiritual influence of an adept is very
considerable, and it becomes specially
manifest when he is conducting the
service of spiritual training. During such
service, devotees begin to realise his
internal presence, and a service of this
description is, therefore, highly valued.
The necessity and the benefit of the
company of a Saint are fully described
later on (vide Article 56).
36— THE FOUR GRADES OF EACH CLASS OF
ADEPTS
There are four subdivisions of each
class of adepts described previously. An
adept might haye^ access only to a parti
cular sphere, or he might be allowed loca
tion close to the presiding deity or the
central power of that sphere. Further
88 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
proficiency in adeptship is, (1) the assump
tion of the manifest form of the presiding
deity, and (2) a union with the deity's
essence. In these two latter conditions,
however, the adept has power to detach
himself from the deity at will.
It is clear from the above remarks that
an adept must have undergone all the
four stages, referred to, in respect of the
spheres he has passed in his journey to the
final goal he has attained. Eor instance, a
Yogi has passed all the above four stages
of the six spheres of the material plane
or Pind and of the three lower spheres
of the region of the Universal Mind or
Brahmand.
37 — SUPERNATURAL POWERS OF ADEPTS
The access of an adept to any sphere
endows him, to some extent, with the
powers of that sphere. "When he gains
union with the presiding deity thereof, he
becomes possessed of the same powers and
functions as those possessed by the
ART. 38 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 80
presiding deity. The remarks, we have
made above, naturally give rise to the
question as to why these powers are not
exhibited so as to leave no doubt as to
their possession by adepts.
38 — MIRACLES AND THEIR CHARACTER
Before entering upon an explanation of
the question, we would take a brief survey
of the miracles reported to have been per
formed by various incarnations and pro
phets, etc. Many miracles, which unmis-
takably reveal powers not ordinarily pos
sessed by humanity, are ascribed to Ramg
Krishna, Gautam Buddha, Jesus Christ,
Mahomed, etc. If the miracles in ques
tion be looked at for features of similitude,
it will be found that the relief of suffering,
the protection of followers, the conversion
of unbelievers or their vanquishment, etc.,
are the characteristics which might be
traced in the majority of the miracles.
No regularity or law is, however, discer
nible in the performance of the miracles.
90 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
They appear to have been performed on
special occasions, and were not always
resorted to for the attainment of the
objects specified above. On the contrary,
the messiah, the prophet, or the incar
nation not infrequently allowed himself
and his followers to be vanquished, or
allowed non-believers to prevail otherwise.
It is clear, from what is mentioned above,
that miracles cannot be the ordinary
means either for protection^ or cure^or
success. This furnishes us with an expla
nation of the question under considera
tion, and also enables us to explain the
extraordinary powers that are exhibited
as a show.
39 — LAWS REGULATING THE EXERCISE OF
HIGHER SPIRITUAL POWERS
We have previously shown that the
spirit-force is distinguished from other
forces, in consequence of its being endowed
with intelligence, bliss, and prime energy.
We have also stated that the source and
ART. 39 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 91
origin of the spirit-force, the Supreme
Creator, is an unbounded ocean of supreme
bliss, supreme intelligence, and supreme
energy. Having thus noted His main attri
butes, it is a truism to say that whatever
He has done, is doing, or will do, is fraught
witli supreme intelligence, which can have
no other object in view than to confer
benefit on all. His laws, too, which
embrace the past, the present, and the
future, and from the scope of which
nothing can be left out in consequence of
the Omniscience of the Supreme Creator,
are all perfect and are not susceptible of
any change or deviation like mundane
laws. An adept, who becomes acquainted
with these laws or exercises them to some
extent, must necessarily be a conform cr to
those laws^and not a breaker of them.
Now, if we turn to the action of the spirit-
force as it is observable on the physical
plane, we find that it is always hidden, so
much so, that even human intelligence of
the highest degree is not aware of the
t)2 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
working of the spirit-force within it. By
the emanation of spiritual currents from
the focus of the spirit-force to different
planes in animate beings, the functions
-assigned to those planes come into, play,
and a limited amount of experience and
knowledge is gained which is helpful in
-carrying on the ordinary avocations of life.
The spiritual power, as revealed on the
planes referred to, is also endowed with the
faculty of diving, to some extent, into the
secrets of the non-intelligent forces of
nature, which enahle it to make discoveries
and inventions, which add to the comfort
and convenience of mankind, and which
possess great educational value. This is
the field assigned to ordinary spirituality.
The spiritual currents, however, act un-
perceived in the performance of all these
functions, and the inward course assigned
to them remains undisturbed. There are
extraordinary conditions, e. g., those of
trance, hypnotism, &c., in which some
extraordinary functions of the inner light.
ART. 39 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 93
and of spirit-force arc at times manifested.
But the subjects in those conditions are
unconscious^ and have no control over
themselves. Their actions are either
regulated by the operator's will, or they
work at random. Furthermore, many
statements made by subjects in those con
ditions turn out to be inaccurate, and it
appears as if the extraordinary powers
xvidded at those times cannot, to any
appreciable degree, be utilized for the
furtherance of worldly objects. From
what we have stated above, it would
appear that the law is that internal
spiritual powers are not intended for the
performance of physical work, which can
be done by physical forces, and that they
have other functions assigned to them in
the economy of nature. Another law
associated with it is that the hidden spiri
tual forces can be possessed and wielded
in those conditions alone in which com
plete pacification of the physical, and to
some extent, of the mental energy takes
94 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
place, and the will of the possessor of the
powers becomes subservient to that of
another. Applying these laws to adepts,
it would appear that an indispensable
condition for access to the higher regions,
and for the acquisition of higher spiritual
powers, is a complete subservience of the
adept to the will of the presiding deity.
The corollary to the proposition is almost
self-evident, viz., that the adept must
entirely conform to the laws in accordance
with which the presiding deity acts in
his sphere ; and whatever he does for the
revelation of the functions of the deity,
must be with the deity's command. The
adepts cannot at will and pleasure break
those laws and use them for the purposes
of this world.
40 — MIRACLES DISTINGUISHED
Persons endowed with some slight
powers of spirituality, who are in no sense
adepts of any order, and who are not
aware of the responsibilities of adepts,
ART. 41 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 95
make a wanton show of their powers and
abuse them for the exhibition of legerde
main. These exhibitions serve the object
of arousing an interest in religious and
spiritual matters in sceptics, but they
should not be confounded with what the
true prophets, &c., manifested. These
inaniiVstations were in the first place very
rare, and then they were mainly made
with the object of corroborating the
existence of the internal regions described
by the prophets, and for the purpose of
spiritual elevation, the eventual aim being
that access should be gained to those
regions by internal devotion. Such
miracles were, hoAvever, only intended for
persons endowed with some spirituality
that is to say, for persons who were more
or less fit for devotion and access to the
higher planes.
41 — REVERSES OF PROPHETS AND ADEPTS
By an inherent law of spirituality, the
miracles could not be extended to the
96 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
ordinary plane of humanity, which is full
of desires of worldly aggrandisement.
This is the reason for the reverses allowed
to take place, when the prophets or the
incarnations, etc., were pressed for an
extension of their supernatural powers
to the accomplishment of worldly objects.
In the matter of conversion, too, the
ordinary means, viz., reasoning, statement,
and rectitude of conduct, were almost
exclusively employed for the inculcation
of religious truths, and, as already stated,
miracles were very rarely resorted to for
this purpose.
42 — MORE COMMON FORMS OF MIRACLES
There is, however, another and a
natural way, by which the extraordinary
powers were made known to true devotees
and followers. The oft-occurring accident,
which does not admit of ordinary expla
nation, is a matter which produces
extraordinary eventualities, and which
introduces such features as nobody can
ART. 12 Sl'IRIT KLKVATIOX !>7
ordinarily foresee. Like other natural
phenomena, accidents are regulated by
l;i\\s, as we sliall have occasion to show
later on, and they are not haphazard
incidents void of all explanation, as is
commonly believed. As the application
of the laws of accident is a matter of
every-day occurrence* largely affecting
the condition of humanity, there can be
no contravention of higher ordinances by
the utili/ation of these laws, and adepts
often resort to them for the benefit,
mainly spiritual, of their disciples.
Impediments and other matters, which a
disciple considers to be insurmountable
or impracticable, often, during the course
of the spiritual training, disappear, and are
accompanied by accidental coincidences,
which unmistakably reveal the hand
of his spiritual master. When such
experiences are often repeated, all doubts
about the extraordinary powers of the
adepts disappear and a feeling of grateful
faith is generated. Such favours are,
G
98 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
however, only shown when the difficulties
arise directly or indirectly in connection
with the spiritual journey of the disciple.
They are never extended to worldly desires
which are contrary to the dictates of a
true spiritual ambition. If any worldly
difficulty is seriously rendering imprac
ticable the devotion of a disciple, it Avill
be removed or mitigated, but no assis
tance would be given in the attainment
of the objects of purely worldly desires
for worldly purposes.
The following saying of a Persian
ndept might be aptly quoted here :—
This rendered into English is as
under :—
Seekers of the world are doomed,
seekers of paradise are mercenary, and
seekers of the Supreme Being are blessed.
VKT. !•:> SPIRIT-ELEVATION 99
1.°)— ADEPTS AND INCARNATIONS DISTIN
GUISHED
have been describing the powers
and functions of the adepts in the
preceding paragraphs, and have in that
connection alluded to the miracles and
other extraordinary exhibitions manifested
by incarnations and prophets, etc. It
would appear from what we have said
that there is hardly any difference between
-an adept and an incarnation, «fce. Such
is, however, not quite the case, and
although eventually an adept might
possess almost the same powers as the
incarnation or the prophet of the sphere
to which he has attained, yet there is an
•essential difference between him and the
latter. Broadly speaking the distinction
consists in the incarnation or the prophet
being possessed of higher powers from
the time of birth, while the adept acquires
~the same powers after spiritual training
and access to higher regions.
100 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
44 — INCARNATIONS EXPLAINED
In this connection it may not be out
of place to remove a misconception
that prevails in respect of incarnations.
The idea of the finiteiiess of humanity
makes it appear as preposterous, at
any rate, paradoxical, that a deity with
infinite or immense powers should
shut himself up in the span of a man.
Such an idea does not, however, appear
to he correct for the reasons set forth
below. We have already stated that
the diffused spirituality of an adept
is sufficient to carry on the ordinary
work of the human frame, while his
spirit has passed the threshold of death
and gained access to the regions of
the Universal Mind ^ or to the purely
spiritual regions, as the case may he,
and that his spiritual action is not ham
pered in any manner by the association
of spiritual currents with the physical
body. Now, if this proposition holds
AUT. I") SPIRIT-ELEVATION 101
in tin* case of adepts, with greater
*, it holds good in the case of incar
nations. The deity remains where he is>
<n id carries on the Avork of the creation
subordinate to him, as usual. Direct rays
from him, however, may assume the
human forjn, and then lie is said to
tncarnatev himself, and the incarnation
carries on, by the deity's direct impulse,
the work appertaining to the object for
which the incarnation was ordained. His
functions mi^ht be likened to the tidal ehb
and flow in that portion of the river which
is subject to tides. The ehb and flow is
no doubt limited in the river itself, but it
is part and parcel of the tidal impulse of
the sea. The sea remains where it was
before, and yet the ehb and flow of the
tide is regulated by its currents.
15 — AN INCARNATION — A SOURCE OF
IMMENSE BENEFIT
\\V would now proceed to explain the
necessity and object of incarnation. We
102 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
have already said that in a creation
(rackana) evolved by an Omniscient
Being, nothing is haphazard or accidental,
and that beneficent laws govern all
the conditions of creation and those
of the denizens thereof. The apparent
hardships and miseries, though they
are painful and, at times, heart-rending,
and most tyrannical in the aspects
they present, must nevertheless be
fraught with eventual benefit, as they
represent a branch of the laws framed
by * the all-knowing and the all-wise
Supreme Creator. The conception of a
perpetual doom of misery is an obvious
contradiction, if it is assumed that
the origin or source of creation is all-
knowing and all- wise. Accordingly, if
benefit is intended even in conditions
which appear to be contrary to the all-
blissful essence of the Supreme Being,
what immense benefit must be in view
when the advent of an incarnation is
ordained.
ART. 46 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 103
46 — GIFTED SPIRITS — THE SOURCE OT ALL
KNOWLEDGE AND BLESSINGS
All the comforts and luxuries of civili
zation, all appliances and aids which
mitigate sufferings, provide protection
from them, or advance and develop trade
and commerce* all discoveries and inven
tions which allow us a glimpse, how
soever fractional it may be, of the
working of nature; all imagery, thoughts,
and intellectual productions which provide
such serene intellectual .happiness; all
laws and regulations whose main aim^is
to remove friction and to provide smooth
and harmonious working — all these owe
their origin to the advent on this earth
of spirits possessed of the necessary gifts.
It seems as if the rise or fall of nations,
the advance or deterioration of civiliza
tion, is regulated with reference to such
advents, or to the absence of the same.
In short, all knowledge, of whatever
description it may be, was, or has been
104 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
unfolded, or will be disclosed by spirits
possessing the necessary mental calibre.
47 — PROPHETS AND INCARNATIONS —
SOURCE OF ALL SPIRITUAL
Similarly, at proper times prophets
and incarnations make their advent for
the spiritual benefit of humanity suited
to its conditions at the time. They, then,
reveal the higher regions from which
they have come^and impress upon all the
necessity for a training which would
secure access to those regions. Burin0"
o o
the ages of simplicity and faith, example
and piety were sufficient to inspire
confidence in the revelation ; and esoteric
teachings which constituted the proper
spiritual training were accepted and
undergone without question or doubt, and
the disciples did derive benefit from them.
The spiritual training, of whatever degree
it may be, was, is, and will be in future
associated with impediments and diffi
culties as will be explained later on. With
ART. Is SPIRIT-ELK VAT I ON 105
tin* aid <>!' a spiritual u'uide, who was
originally the incarnation or the prophet,
and whose functions were subsequently
exercised by an adept trained in the
prophet's or incarnation's school, there was
no difficulty in surmounting the obstacles
referred to, hut when such adepts became
extinct the formulas alone were regularly
observed, but no internal progress or
very little was made. The training, re
ferred to lien1, means the internal journey
through the regions of dream, deep slum
ber, trance, and death to the planes above:
in this journey the faculties of volition
and thought undergo a collapse at each
staije, and for awakening them at each
higher plane1, a helping hand is as much
needed as for the rearing up of an infant.
18 — THE AWAKENING OF A NEW
SPIRIT OF RESEARCH
With the inner light which the incar
nations and prophets possessed, they could
have substantiated the revelations they
106 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
made by means of arguments, but the
time was not ripe for such a course, and
beyond the revelations and statements of
tenets about the esoteric path and regions,
no further attempt was made to convince
humanity. A change of a very marked
character is, however, fast spreading now,
and the universal demand appears to be
that everything should be reduced to prac
ticability and definiteness, and that
reasons should be adduced in support of
all matters, whether they be temporal or
religious. This inquisitiveness of the
present age is not antagonistic to spiritual
research or pursuit; on the contrary, it
requires a presentation of revelation in
such a form, as would leave no doubt
of its acceptance at present and in
the future. This universal mood is not
accidental, but is the outcome of a
craving for a revelation of the highest
order, which will confer permanent
benefit of the highest degree now and
hereafter.
ART. 49 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 107
49 — INCARNATIONS AND PROPHETS OF
EXTANT RELIGIONS — THEIR ORIGIN
As we shall show later on in this vol
ume, the incarnations and prophets, we
have been referring to, descended from tin-
second grand division of creation, or that
of the Universal Mind or Brahm, who is,
as already stated, together with his region,
dependent for existence and for action, on
the true Supreme Creator, the origin and
source of spirituality, and who, with his-
region, undergoes the same vicissitude as
happens to the individual mind at the
time of death. Access to his region,
although it may he fraught with spiritual
benefit for a very long time, does not secure
supreme and everlasting bliss and immu
nity from change and dissolution of every
description. Like the tendencies of the
individual mind, the tendencies of the
Universal Mind are outward in his planes,,
and they accordingly present inherent
antagonism to the journey which
108 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
place by means of the inward spiritual
currents to the pure region of spirit which
is above Brahmand. As the kinetic mental
ego is ever engaged upon work which
would contribute to its happiness, in the
same manner, the Universal Mind is
engaged in work and functions which
appertain to his being, and like the indivi
dual mind, he does not concern himself
with the purely spiritual regions. If this
holds good in the case of the Universal
Mind, it also holds good in the case of in
carnations and prophets ordained by him.
They, accordingly, only provided means
for access to the regions of the Universal
Mind, and that, too, in such a way thaty/
only those who came in contact with them
or with the adepts trained by them
received the practical benefit of their
teachings. In the case of lolKwers, who
/»
espoused their religion after they and the
adepts had passed away, actual progress
during life was seldom, if ever, made ; and
in accordance with the net result of their
AKT. li) si'iiMT I:U:\ATIOX 101)'
sinful and virtuous acts, location AN as
allowed in higher or lower regions, but not
in the region of the Universal Mind or
Brahmand ; as, unless the tendency of the
currents appertaining to the individual
mind he entirely eradicated, the spirit is
not tit for entrance into Brahmand. And
similarly, unless all the tendencies of the
Universal Mind are cut asunder, the spirit
will not he tit for access into the purely
spiritual region. This might he likened
to the transmutations which take place
in the condition of matter/in its passage
from the solid to the ionic state. In the
first place, the atom has to shake off the
cohcsiveness characteristic of solid sub
stances* then the slippery hold of liquids
disappears; at the next stage, weight
producing gravity has to be dispelled* the
state of frictional disintegration, which
is the form of atoms in the condition of
heat, is then overcome; and finally the
atom breaks up into ions, gaining free
dom and increased energy at each step.
110 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
50 — INCARNATIONS AND PROPHETS OF
EXTANT RELIGIONS — PROOF
OF THEIR ORIGIN
It lias been mentioned above that the
incarnations and prophets, referred to,
descended upon this earth from the
regions of the Universal Mind. The proof
in support of this statement is to be found
in the holy books revealed by them, as
the esoteric allusions made therein clearly
indicate to one trained in spiritual science,
that the goal of the incarnations, etc.,
was situated in the second grand division
of creation. To a layman, however, these
allusions are incomprehensible ^ and no
differentiation is made by him between
the goals of the various extant religions.
Many things ^ which appear on their
face to be impossible or ridiculous^ are
perceived to imply the various stages and
means of the spiritual journey. It is, for
instance, said that the prophet Mahomed
-ascended the sky on his 'well-known horse,
ART. 50 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 111
BuAik, and that he bifurcated the moon
in the course of his ascent. To the ordi
nary person, who has no acquaintance
with esoteric technicalities, and who has
not received esoteric training, the inci-
•dents, referred to, would appear to be in
the nature of a myth. But to an alum-
y///.v of a spiritual alma mater, they present
quite a different significance. The horse,
\_/
Jjtirftk, is the highest electric current
*of the third or material division of crea
tion. It is, as it were, the life and spiri
tuality of everything physical in that
division, and it is only by a ride upwards
upon that current that ascent to the
higher division is possible. The fountain
head of this current is in the moon
(which should not be confounded with the
-earth's satellite), the orb which is above
our sun and which corresponds to the sixth
ganglion of Find, viz., the seat of the
spirit. For further ascension it is neces
sary that this centre should be penetrated.
"When this entrance was effected by the
112 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
prophet, it might well he stated in spiri
tual technicality that he broke asunder
the moon in twain. He then got a glimpse-
of the dazzling flame, the ' Jyoti ' of the
Yedic religion, the consort of ' Maya Sabal
Brahm.' All commands and revelations
were made to Mahomed from this place,,
and the goal of his teachings ends here.
51 SPIRITUAL REGENERATION
As knowledge of every description is
gained by the association of the spiritual
current with the object of knowledge, it is-
clear that the essence of a presiding deity
and the creation subordinate to him could
be known to him alone or to the presiding
deity of a higher sphere of creation.
Accordingly, when the presiding deity of
a sphere considers it necessary and proper
to allow access to his region to the spirits
of lower planes, he has originally to-
incarnate himself for the necessary revela
tions and esoteric teachings for the pur
pose. Such incarnations are rare, and
AKT. 52 SPIRIT-ELEVATION'
when they do come, the innermost secrets
are revealed, and great and rapid progress
is made by the disciples^ who come in
personal contact with them. Later on,
the work of spiritual regeneration is
carried on by adepts trained by them ;
the success of an adept's work varvino*
in accordance with the degree of training
attained by him. If the adept is of
the first order, that is to say, if he
has acquired the power of uniting himself
with the essence of the presiding deitv,
his training is as efficacious as that by an
incarnation of that deity.
52 — PARTIAL REVELATION PRECEDING
INCARNATIONS
To pave the way, as it were, for the
incarnation of a deity, it is sometimes
expedient that a partial revelation should
be made in advance, and for this purpose
a spirit evolved out of the essence of the
deity, who is his son or a denizen of his
sphere, is empowered and sent to this
H
114 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
earth for the above purpose. Not only the
secrets of the second grand division of
creation, which is known as Brahmand, but
also those of the purely spiritual regions,
have been made known in the manner
explained above. The Saints or the adepts
of the purely spiritual regions of different
-classes, who were the sons of the presiding
deities of the different spheres of the first
grand division of creation, thus made their
advent. Kabir Saheb was the first to come.
Some of His holy pieces, in the most clear
terms, point out that He had come from
the highest sphere, the one beyond the
Alakh and Agam, which is known as the
sphere of Eadhasoami. He was the son of
the true Almighty, Supreme Creator,
EAdhasoami^md had come in advance to
communicate the august commands of the
true Supreme Father. This is alluded to
in the following verse of Kabir Saheb :—
ART. 53 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 115
The verse_C)jr"jKjjJnr Sc(hcb/ referred
M*—
to, renderecr into English would be as
follows : —
Saith Kabir, the knower of the secrets
of the highest mansion, that He has
brought the commands of the Omni
present.
Other Saints followed Kabir Saheb at
irregular intervals. They were Guru
Nanak, Jagjivan Saheb, Pali^u Das, Tulsi
Saheb of Hathras (who is not to be con-
*
founded with Tulsi Das, the poet, whose
main compilation is the Ramayan). Other
adepts, too, of a very slightly lower order,
made their advent. They were Garib Das,
Dulam Das, Charan Das, Nabhaji^ Darya
Saheb, R,aidas, Surdas, Shums/Tabrez, Man-
/ M.
sur, Sarrnad, Moinuddin Chisti, &c., &c.
^
53 — UNIFORM NATURE OF TEACHINGS
OF THE SAINTS
The precepts and sayings of all these
adepts and Saints are in unison in respect
of the methods prescribed for spiritual
116 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
training, which is in short Satyandm, Saf-
guru, and Sat sang. Satyandm means True
Name, and it implies that the true or spiri
tual name should be heard or articulated
within. Sat guru means True Guide, i.e., an
adept who has access to the true and purely
spiritual region, and who can lead a disciple
to that region. Guru Xanak defines such
a true guide in the following couplet :—
The English version of this couplet is as
under : —
He who showeth mansions within
mansions is the all-knowing true guide.
The echoes of five different sounds are
reverberating as the distinctive features
of five respective spheres. v v N .
Satsang means true company or associa
tion. As Satguru is the living manifesta
tion of pure spirituality, which alone
is true or real in consequence of its
ART. 54 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 117
•everlasting nature, his personal company
is outward .sv/.svo//y. Inward satsmig is the
company of the spiritual current within,
which consists in listening to spiritual
sounds or in articulating internally spiri
tual names. As a true guide has access
to the spirit ualplanes of his disciples, his
/f&i&f^fte'?
mamfestation^ttey either unsolicited or in
consequence of earnest and affectionate
contemplation of his form, or remem
brance of his gracious acts, is also internal
jatsang.
- 1 / / / / /
64 — ADVENT OF RADHASOAMI DAYAL
When the ground for spiritual regener-
ation, asjhas been explained above, was
thus made fit for further development by
the Saints and other adepts referred to,
then the incarnation of the presiding
deity of the highest spiritual sphere, viz.,
lladhasoami took place. The tenets and
teachings and the practical devotional
methods of the religion of Saints, which
had already been given out, as explained
118 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
above, were made manifest in their simplest
forms, and the devotional practices ren
dered so easy of performance, that they
can be attended to without difficulty and
performed with success by humanity of
both sexes and all ages, subject to the
observance of certain simple rules regu
lating the conduct of life;a**4 diet, etc.
The true order and object of creation,
which had hitherto been an insoluble
mystery , and which had not been
explained in detail by Saints even, were
given, out by the most gracious Ra'dha-
soaSm in a complete form. The true
spiritual articulation of the sound of the
highest division, which had not been made
known by Saints, was also disclosed by Him.
To demonstrate the truth of all these
revelations, arguments based on lines of
pure induction and deduction, and sup
ported by illustrations taken from facts^
which are within the access of ordinary
observation ?and by devotional or experi
mental experiences, were advanced in
ART. 55 SPIRIT-ELEVATION
discourses of a most extraordinary
character, delivered during the holy
service held under His august presidency
every day. The scientific presentation
of the revelations made by Him, as
unfolded in this volume, is based on those
discourses.
55 — NECESSITY OF A LIVING ADEPT FOR
SPIRITUAL TRAINING
The Saints and other adepts, <j
their spirituality, ^aTTthe time of death}
from the various planes with which it was
associated in consequence of their advent
on this earth, and regain the original
place which they occupied. Departure
from this earth in their case is not like
that of ordinary humanity. It is all
along known to them, and it takes place
when the purpose, for which their advent
had been ordained, has been served.
Their spirituality, while they are on this
plane, is so great that whatever object
comes in contact with them is spiritualised
120 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
to some extent, and contact with or the
use of such objects is beneficial ; but the
kinetic energy of the spiritual force of the
sphere from which they had sprung up
ceases with their departure. And as the
law is that the spirituality assigned to
the various planes in creation, does not
act on a lower plane save by percolation,
which allows passage to a fractional
part alone of the spirituality, the Saints
or adepts after departure do not, in
contravention of this rule, extend the
same spiritual assistance as they afforded
during their life. Of course disembodied
spirits, who have been liberated from the
coarse physical bondage by death, but
whose worldly desires and mundane affini
ties are as strong as they were during life,
often hold communion from the astral
plane (which is associated with the
earth and is situated in the ethereal
plane) with friends and kindred to
whom they are attached, or dabble
otherwise in worldly matters, be
ART. .V) SPIRIT-ELKVATION 121
good or bad. Tbe religious teachings
of Saints, specially of the incarnation
of lladhasoam'i, therefore, lay special
st ress upon the necessity of a living adept
for practical spiritual training. The
science of the spiritual force is highly
technical and subtle, requiring regular
daily training on planes with which
the devotee is unacquainted. A perusal
of the holy books is, therefore, not
sufficient for spiritual experimentations.
The successful performance of such
experimentations requires constant aid
from an adept both internally and
externally. The root of all evil is
egotism, which word is used here in its
literal significance, and means and conveys
the idea of a consciousness that whatever
is being done, whether it be temporal or
spiritual, is the outcome of the worth or
power that the actor possesses within
himself, forgetting or ignoring the source
from Avhich that worth or power was
derived. So long as this function remains,
122 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
a translationjof the spiritual, entity is im-
poesiWecIoiigher planesT^SSTthe disciple
will revolve round his mental ego, which
he considers to he his inner self, and no-
real progress is possible. The adept who
acts from higher planes can alone over
come this great impediment. Assistance
of the description we have been speaking
of comes unsolicited at moments when
the disciple is in despair in consequence
of the futility of all his efforts. The
frequent occurrence of such a condition
during the course of spiritual training of
a devotee gradually introduces a change-
in his nature and character. Confidence
gives way to diffidence and true humility ;
and the devotee off and on turns his gaze
and attention to higher quarters within
himself for assistance. This exercise
gradually results in a change of the plane
of action. When the powers of the higher
planes are developed to a degree, the-
devotee is enraptured by the freedom,.
bliss, and the enlargement of the scope of
ART. 55 SPIRIT-ELEVATION
vision he has acquired. He then becomes
truly conscious by personal experience of
the evils concentrated and concealed in
egotism, and also of the efficacy and bliss
of devotion. Such pure and true devo
tion, which leads the devotee rapidly on
towards the object of his devotion, can be
generated by a living adept alone and not
otherwise. Devotees who have made some
advance can to some extent render assis
tance to others, who have not made so
much progress, in the shape of strength
ening the belief and the motive for reli
gious devotion of the latter by a statement
of their own internal experiences and by
their example ; but the ascension of a
spirit from its ordinary seat to higher
planes is possible only when a living adept
is present. It is not necessary that the
disciple must always be in the personal
company of the adept. So long as the
adept is alive, his spirituality is kinetic
on higher planes and he can extend help
(of course spiritual) even when the disciple-
SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
is away from him at a distance. The
ahsence of adepts has been the cause of
deterioration and stoppage of internal pro
gress in all religions, whether they apper
tain to the second grand division of crea
tion or to the first. Continuous internal
progress is only possible when the succes-
•sion of one adept after another is
continuous, or when it takes place at very
frequent intervals. During the gap the
spirituality, which had already been
gathered, consolidates as it were, and at
the advent of the next adept it is fit for
further exaltation from the foundations
alreadv laid.
•
5fj — THE HOLY SERVICE
It will not be out of place here to
•describe in some detail the holy service
(the satsang held under the presidency of
a living adept). Such a service represents,
as it were, a training class for practical
spiritual instructions and for devotional
practice. The presiding adept, who
ART. T>() SPIRIT-ELK VATIOX 125-
conducts the service, sits on an elevated
place, so that no difficulty might be
experienced by the audience in listening
to his discourses. The audience is of a
mixed character, both men and women
being present in it. The space provided
for ladies is, however, screened, and is
quite separate from the place where the
male portion of the audience is seated.
Visitors are not allowed to be present at
the time of the service, except with
special permission, which is given as a
matter of course, if the visitor is desirous
of acquainting himself with the principles
of the religion of the Saints with a view
to practical religious training. The main
reason for restricting free access is that
•v
not knf requently the practice of attending
to the internal spiritual sound is performed
as a part of the service, and this practice
cannot be performed in the presence of
visitors. The service commences with
the recitation, in which all the members
of the congregation can take part, of
126 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
certain holy pieces, which contain a
grateful expression of the immense
spiritual benefit conferred by the gracious
Supreme Creator, Radhasoami, in reveal
ing the true path of salvation^and always
extending His gracious assistance to the
devotee in Ms inward journey to the region
of pure spirituality, which is the abode of
supreme ecstasy, bliss, and immortality.
The service closes with another recitation
of the description given above, but the
subject matter of the holy pieces is differ
ent, the purport of the prayer contained
therein being that assistance and grace
may be extended to frail and forgetful
humanity^which can, unaided, do nothing
towards the attainment of true emancipa
tion, and that true love may be generated
for the lotus feet of the Supreme Being,
as in their absence the bliss of His
gracious and beatific vision, and location
in His ever holy mansion, cannot be
attained. During the interim of the
service, the holy books compiled by Saints
ART. 56 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 127
(they are both in verse and in prose) are
regularly read out. Such portions of
these books, as do not admit of easy
comprehension, are explained by the
presiding adept, or made the text of a
holy discourse. Other discourses also are
frequently delivered. They contain either
an exposition in a scientific and logical
form of the tenets of the Saints' religion,
or deal with subjects connected with the
practice of spiritual devotion. AVhile the
books are being read out, the members of
the congregation are simultaneously
attending, to some extent, to their devo
tional practice, specially of contempla
tion, which is rendered easy in consequence
of the presence of the adept, and also in
consequence of the inspired subject matter
of the holy books they are listening to.
Concurrently with this, the process for
the purification of mind and the eradica
tion of evil desires is also at work. The
root of all evils is ignorance, which clouds
the discriminating faculties^and conceals
128 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
the viciousness of sinful motives and acts.
In the presence of a Saint or an adept,
this ignorance is dispelled to some extent,
and his serene and sacred company is at
times alone sufficient to disclose the short
comings of the members of the congrega
tion, and to generate true contrition at the
condition so revealed. The discourses
delivered during sat sang, however, more
frequently effect the purification, referred
to, and, at the same time, provide a mas
terly training to the audience in developing
the faculty of true discrimination, where
by they become gradually capable of find
ing out the subtlest motive in its most
disguised form which is contrary to true
virtuous principles and correct religious
conduct as prescribed in the religion
of the Saints. The surroundings of
satsang, the presence of the adept and
his discourses, produce also great effect
upon the faculty of religious emotion, and
as the devotee makes progress in his spiri
tual practice, gradually the satsang affords
AKT. 57 SPIRIT-ELEVATION
such exquisite emotional ecstasies to him
that all pleasures of this world dwindle
into insignificance, and the entire service
is one of engrossing rapture. This is what
/ j
Kabir Saheb refers to in the following
verse : —
The translation of this into English is
to the following effect : —
The ignorant are not acquainted with
the secret : showers of ambrosia fall in
the s at sang.
57 - DISTRIBUTION OF ARTICLES
SANCTIFIED BY TOUCH
The presiding adept is sometimes gar
landed before the commencement of the
service, and garlands sanctified by his
touch arc distributed to the members of
the congregation. Sweets or some other
light articles of food are also sometimes
130 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
distributed after sanctification by the
adept. They constitute, as it were, the
sacrament of the satsang. The above two
functions are, however, being gradually
given up in the Radhasoami satsang in
consequence of the increasing dimensions
of the satsang, and if the present expan
sion continues, bringing together daily
over hundreds and thousands of the fol-
/ / / %
lowers of Eadhasoami Faith, the functions,
referred to, may have to be abandoned as
a part of the satsang.
/ / / '
58 — PARSHADI, CHARAXAMRIT, ARATI,
AND OBEISANCE
The benefit of sanctification, which we
shall presently explain from a theoretical
point of view, is also conferred upon a very
limited circle of devotees who are often
in attendance on an adept. Articles of
food left in the dishes after an adept has
finished his meals, clothes and garments
worn by him, and the water used for the
ablution of his feet, are considered to be
A KT. ~>s SPIRIT-ELEVATION 131
highly spiritualised, and used by suJi of
the disciples as get an opportunity to
obtain them. Disciples are also sometimes
allowed to touch the feet of an adept with
their forehead, the object being that the
spirituality, which is more or less flowing
out from the feet of the adept, might be
imbibed by them. This mode of obeisance
is also, however, confined to a very limited
circle. The use of these sanctified articles
or the mode of obeisance, referred to, is,
however, not a part of the holy service.
At times, disciples are permitted to gaze
intently at the eyes of an adept, and he
-also directs his gaze similarly at the eyes
..and forehead of the devotees engaged in
this practice. Meanwhile, holy pieces
dealing with the journey of the spiritual
-entity upwards, towards the region of
pure spirituality, or containing a descrip
tion of the conditions of deep love and
yearning, or of true humility and resigna
tion to the will of the Supreme Creator,
which befall a devotee during his course of
132 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
spiritual journey, are recited. During this,
recital, the practice of spiritual contempla
tion has to be performed with the aid of
the adept's gaze. The spiritual concen
tration during such moments is very
great, and the devotees who are per
forming this practice are filled within
themselves with rapturous bliss. When
the concentration is beyond the strain
to which a devotee is accustomed, hi&
eyes involuntarily close, but during this
condition he is all along conscious,
inwardly, and does not lose his identity
like a hypnotised subject. The aid
received in the course of this practice,
which is technically known as the Arati
ceremony, is very similar to the aid
extended to a child, who is just beginning
to walk, by its mother or nurse. The effect
of this ceremony should in no way be
confounded with the effect produced
by suggestion or hypnotism, the object
of the assistance rendered being to
arouse the potentialities of the spirit-entity
ATIT. 58 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 133
concurrently with the functions of freewill
and self-consciousness, and not to make
the inherent powers of spirit a vehicle for
H'ivinu1 efl'ect to the desires of the operator,
as is the case in mesmerism.
As promised, we now proceed to
explain the theory of the four modes of
sa notification mentioned ahove, which
theory also applies to the sanctifica-
tion of garlands, £c., by touch. That
the internal condition of an animate
ohject affects those who touch it, is
very clearly observed in the case of a
number of insects, &c., the contact in
extreme cases resulting in immediate blis
ters, &c. To a lesser degree, this pecu
liarity applies to all animate beings.
Hitherto, we have been speaking of
the physical effects, with the object
of establishing the proposition that the
inherent constitutional spirituality is
capable of producing, by means of the
physical frame it has assumed, effects
peculiar to its seed-power. In case of
SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PA11T II
sanctification, similar effects are pro
duced, hut they are perceivahle on the
spiritual plane, as the physical effects
are observable on the physical plane.
A devotee whose spiritual power is
developed to some extent can realise
the effects produced by sanctified
objects almost immediately he uses them,
even when he is not aware that the
object he is using is sanctified. If
this is a fact that hypnotised subjects
find it easier to establish communion
with a person, with the aid of an
object used by him, the theory stated
above is confirmed by this fact.
Blood-hounds also are aided in following
their clue in a somewhat similar way-
something left on the way by the
object of their search furnishing them
with the necessary link.
Electricity, which furnishes vitality,
as it were, to all elements, presents>
the greatest similarity to the spiritual
force. It would not, therefore, be
ART. 59 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 135
irrelevant to state in support of the
theory we have been advancing that
if electrified bodies can impart their
electric charge to everything that comes
in contact with them, the quantity of
electricity so imparted varying directly
with reference to the electric intensity
of the electrified body, adepts whose
physical frame is charged with spiritu
ality of a very intense character of a
very high plane, can also similarly impart
their spirituality to all objects that come
in contact with them. It may be per
haps desirable to observe here that in con
sidering the argument by analogy stated
above, the similarity in regard to touch
alone should be kept in view. Any effort
to extend the similarity in other direc
tions would introduce unnecessary com
plications and produce anomalies.
59 — ARTICULATION OF SPIRITUAL NAME
We now proceed to the explanation
of the third method for spiritual
136 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
development, viz., the articulation of the
spiritual name, which in common language
would mean the internal repetition of the
holy name. Prayers offered internally
are ordinarily held to be analogous
to repetition of the holy name. Such
is, however, not the case as will appear
from the explanations given below. The
holy names, we are referring to, are not
uttered for producing the desired effect
with reference to the verbal meaning of
those names. The articulation of those
names themselves in modes peculiar to
each is supposed to carry the necessary
effect or charm. Such holy names are
technically known as mantras. The
internal repetition of some of these names
would enable the disciple, on the comple
tion of the prescribed course of training,
to acquire the power of controlling the
feelings and desires of all persons who
come in contact with him. Such names
are vashikaran mantras, while there are
other names jwhich possess the power of
ART. GO SPIRIT-ELEVATION 137
destruction, and when their functions
liuve been developed, it is said that no
diniculty would arise in destroying any
object or overcoming opposition.
60 — THEORY OF THE REPETITION OF
HOLY NAMES EXPLAINED
We now propose to discuss the nature of
the efficacy claimed for holy names. In
previous portions of this treatise we have
attempted to show that the economy of the
human frame is not accidental, but that
it is based upon the economy of creation.
The main divisions and subdivisions of
the microcosm correspond to those of the
macrocosm, and communications between,
them exist by means of apertures in
the nervous centres of the human frame,
the ganglia representing, as it were, the
spheres of the macrocosm on a small
scale. It would thus follow that cur
rents in action which are to be found
in the universe are existent in miniature
in the human frame. We have also
138 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
shown at length previously that all cur
rents, that is to say, kinetic force-emana
tions are reverberating with sound, which
could be perceived everywhere and on
all sides, if the inherent faculty of
hearing, which is latent in our spirits,
were developed. According to the laws
of harmony, the sounds, we have referred
to, co-operate with, or militate against,
those which are concordant or dis
cordant respectively. Each sphere is-
maintained by a central power or pre
siding deity, which ' constitutes the
reservoir or focus of power or vitality
peculiar to that sphere. The force-cur
rents prevalent in the sphere take their
rise from the presiding deity, and sounds
peculiar to those currents accompany
them. We have similar currents in our
body in the nervous centre which corres
ponds to the sphere. These currents are,
however, not active in the same way as-
the currents coming out from the presid
ing deity. They perform certain functions
ART. GO SPIRIT-ELEVATION 139
peculiar to the sphere in respect of the
maintenance of the physical body ; hut
the subjective functions, viz., perception,
comprehension, and regulation are latent.
Now, i(? we were to repeat internally at
the nervous centre, corresponding to a
sphere, a sound which is an imitation in
articulate speech of the sound emanating
from the focus or presiding deity of that
sphere, the vibration set up therein by
this process will, as the practice advances,
come into harmony with the vibration in
sounds already existent in the sphere, and
when the unison or concord of the two
acts of vibration is complete, they would
commingle and respond to each other like
the response of a tuning-fork which is in
harmony with a musical instrument. The
subjective functions and powers of the
deity would then be imbibed, and the
great force wliich he wields in his sphere
could be set in motion by the utterance-
within of the holy name at the will of
the devotee. This is technically known as-
140 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
mantra sicldhi, that is to say, the acquisi
tion of the powers of the holy name. Eor a
very long time the internal repetition is
more or less superficial, as all our tenden
cies are outward and the internal repeti
tion does not stir up the true tune-chord.
The outward tendency, we have referred
to, introduces all sorts of thoughts and
ideas at the time the holy name is being
repeated. The diversion of attention due
to the ingress of such thoughts is a great
impediment, and the repetition of the holy
name is, therefore, not so effective as it
would otherwise be. A great combat,
therefore, ensues at the time of practice,
and until the outward tendencies are more
or less overcome, the internal currents of
the centre at which the repetition is being
performed cannot be properly brought
into action and developed. The material
or the outward tendencies, we have been
speaking about, have been generated and
strengthened by exercise, as it were,
throughout almost the twenty-four hours
ART. 60 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 141
of every day since our birth, and accord
ingly a contrary condition cannot prevail
by a practice for a short time every day
extending over a few months or even over
a few years. The exact process of internal
repetition of holy names is not often
known by persons who practice such
repetition, and even if they correctly per
form the practice, the necessary guidance
is often wanting. This is the reason why
a notion has now become prevalent that
the holy names do not possess that efficacy,
at present, which they possessed originally.
Such is, however, not the case. Th&
names possess the same efficacy as they
possessed before, but proper training or
guidance is not so easily accessible as it
was before. From what we have stated
above, the principle, however, seems to be
(v>tal)lishrd that in accordance with the
Luvs of harmony, the repetition, within,
of articulate sounds (without regard to
their meaning), which are an imitation of
the sounds accompanying the emanation
142 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
of a force out of the presiding deity of a
sphere, at a nervous centre corresponding
to that sphere, can result in the acquisi
tion of the power of that deity. This
principle is enunciated by Moinuddin
Chisti in the following couplet :—
The translation of the couplet in
English is as follows : —
There is no difference between the
name of the deity and the deity himself,
the refulgence of that name showeth the
beatitude of the object of worship.
A similar idea has been expressed by
Tulsi Das, the famous compiler of the
Hamayan, in the following words : —
The meaning of this verse in English is : —
Name and the object of name are
ART. Gl SPIRIT-ELEVATION 143
parallel to water and its waves, no differ
ence should he stated between the two.
The names, we are referring to, are the
imitations in articulate speech of the
sounds peculiar to various spheres. They
should not be confounded with ordinary
words used to denote objects or thoughts
-and feelings.
61 — MAIN OBJECT OF THE METHODS
OF PRACTICE IDENTICAL
It will be observed from Article 2 that
the attainment of the object of religion, as
denned in the beginning of this volume, is
possible in that condition alone^in which
the spirit gains access to the purely spiri
tual regions. The two methods of spiritual
practice, we have already described and
discussed, were shown to have been pres
cribed specially for the attainment of the
object referred to, and the third practice
now under consideration has also the same
^nd in view. In each of the two practices,
referred to, the main feature is the
144 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
development of the spiritual current, that
is to say, the concentration and the subse
quent exaltation of the spirit. In the
methods of repetition of the true holy
name described below, the same main
feature exists. The functions of that holy
name are purely spiritual and attractive,,
entirely devoid of all mental and mate
rial powers and tendencies.
62 — HOLY SPIRITUAL NAME DISTIN
GUISHED FROM SO-CALLED MANTRAS
In a purely spiritual religion, the-
names or mantras ^\\\ic\\ merely act as
instruments of destruction or control and
authority- have no value, and the holy
name which effects liberation of spirit
from the thraldom of matter and mind
is alone used. We are not, therefore,
advocating in any sense the practice of
the repetition of the mantras already
referred to. They have been mentioned
by way of illustration -to establish a
principle : they do not, however, form
ART. Oo SPIRIT-ELEVATION' 1 1-5
part of the practical' code of training-
prescribed in the religion of the Saints.
03 — CHARACTERISTICS OF SPIRIT-FORCE
Before describing the true holy name
given out by the gracious Radhasoami,
we propose to ascertain the main features
of the true Supreme Creator and the
characteristics of the spirit-force by which
the creation was brought about. It is a
matter of every-day experience that no
force can act without a focus and
currents. So long as the currents are
non-existent, the force is in the condition
of potentiality. With the rise of currents,
which takes place by a previous commotion
in the reservoir or focus, the potentiality
is converted into kinetic action and work
commences. It is hardly necessary to
remark that if there were no reservoir or
focus, there would be no currents. The
above principles apply to, the spiritual
force also. It would perhaps be more
accurate to say that the characteristics,
146 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
referred to, of the forces of nature owe
their origin to the characteristics of the
prime energy, viz., the spiritual force.
The origin of creation must, in accordance
with this view, have commenced with an
upheaval and subsequent flow of spiri
tual currents from the infinite reservoir
of spirituality, ' the true Supreme Being.
So long as these conditions had not taken
place, there was no creation, and the
Supreme Being had not manifested
Himself till then as the Creator. In the
portion of this work dealing with the
course, the economy, and the object of
creation, we shall explain and discuss
fully the manner in which the spiritual
currents acted in constituting the cosmos.
Meanwhile, it will be sufficient for our
present purpose to state that the spirit-
force acts and forms a field of action in
a way similar to some extent to the action
of the magnetic force. In a field of
magnetic force, the action at all points is
towards the magnetic centre of force, and
ART. 01 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 117
i f we look merely at the converging ten
dency, the idea of the prevalence of that
force in a field or sphere of action, away
from the pole, involves a contradiction. If,
however, we take into consideration the
magnetising effect of the pole on the ions
of the surrounding ether, which consists
in the sorting of the positive and the
negative ions round the positive and
negative poles respectively, the con
tradiction disappears ^ and the process
«of the manifestation of the currents of
an attractive force becomes comprehen
sible. This is the way in which the
•spiritual current manifested itself from
its spiritual source.
61 — DISTINCTIVE CHARACTER OF SOUNDS
EMANATING FROM SPIRITUAL SOURCE
AND FROM SPIRITUAL CURRENTS
Commotion in the spiritual source pre
ceding the manifestation of the spiritual
currents and the currents themselves
Avere both the manifestation of the prime
148 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PAUT II
energy in two different kinetic forms ; and
both of them must have, in accordance
with the theory we have already stated,
been accompanied by sound. It is almost
self-evident that the sound which accom
panied the commotion was distinct from
the sound which accompanied the currents.
This distinction between the source-sound
and the current-sound applies to the inner
most or the spirit action of all presiding
deities of the various spheres of crea
tion. This has, however, been overlooked,
and the sound of the manifest functions
of the various deities have alone been
reduced to mantras. The greatest holy
name or the mantra, as revealed in the
Vedas, viz., ^W (om), does not represent
distinctly the spiritual current-sound and
the source-sound underlying it. It is
merely an imitation in articulate speech
of the sounds accompanying the functions
of Brahm (the Universal Mind) in
% Erahmaiid. The distinction between the
sound accompanying the functional work
ART. 61 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 149
of a deity other than the true Sup rone
Bring, the source and origin of all spiigin
ality, and that acconi pan \ 'ing the focus aha
current actions of spirit, maybe elucidated
by the following illustration. Our think
ing ego, viz., the mind is an instrument
dependent, as we have already stated, for
the performance of its functions upon the
spirituality derived from the centre of
the spirit. These functions are set at
work after the spirituality emerges at
the mental plane. Their character is
quite distinct from that of the spiritual
current and the spiritual centre which
have supplied the vitality. The sound
and vibrations at the mental plane of
the various functions of mind are the
result of the passage of the spirii through
the mental plane, and are as distinct
from the spirit-sounds, referred to, as
blue light produced by the passage of
white light through a blue lens is distinct
from white light. If our had the power
of penetrating the lens and perceiving the
150 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
J/i
lights concern itantly , the great differ-
ener
between their character would be
both
apparent to him in a very marked man
ner. A similar distinction exists between
the mental and spiritual sounds, we have
been speaking of ; but this distinction is
not apparent to those who do not possess
access to the innermost quarter of spirit.
The functional sounds or the manifest
holy names of the various deities are
similarly distinct from the sounds of
internal spirit- currents supplying the
spiritual energy to the deities. In the*
case of the prime origin and source
of spirit alone, viz., the true Supreme
Being, this distinction disappears, as the
manifestation of the spirit-current itself
constitutes the function. Barring the
incarnation of the true Supreme Being,
Radhasoami, other incarnations and pro
phets, &c., accordingly revealed the holy
names or mantras of the functional
powers of their respective deities. As
the true supreme spiritual name or
ART. G5 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 151
mantra could be revealed by Him alone
who had access to the source and origin
of spirit, Kabir Saheb, as already
mentioned, who had come as a harbin
ger from that region, has alluded in
one place to that supreme name. Of this
we shall speak more definitely shortly.
Meanwhile, we proceed to announce and
explain that name.
65 — EXPLANATION OF THE SUPREME
NAME RADHASOAMI
The imitation in articulate sound of
the first spiritual current, which is the
beginning in the course of all creation,
is ' Radha,' and the imitation of the wave
or commotion that gave rise to this
prime current is * Soami.' The true holy
name or the supreme mantra of the
origin and source of all spirituality in
creation is 'lladhasoami,' and when the true
Supreme Being thus manifested Himself
as Creator and evolved the creation, the
wave and currents announced Him as.
SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
Rarlhasoami in the vast region of spiri
tuality first evolvel. This true name is
present everywhere in creation and can be
heard at the innermost plane where the
spirit-current is acting. As each ray
emanating from the sun carries with it
the constitutional components of the sun,
similarly the prime action by focus and
current, which are the constitutional
components of creation in the beginning,
is carried in the tinies^ ray of spirit, and
the sound, lladhasoami, could be heard in
miniature ^ if we could penetrate the
surrounding layers^ and reach the inner
most quarter occupied by the spirit-ray:
The holy name, lladhasoami, has been
announced above as revealed by the incar
nation of gracious lladhasoami like other
revealed mantras or holy names. It
will, however, perhaps be more satis
factory to demonstrate^ to some extent,
that the imitation in articulate speech
of the sound of the spirit-current and of
/ / / X
the spirit-focus is E/adhasoami.
ART. G6 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 153
GO — SEQUENCE OF SOUNDS RADHA AND
80AMI EXPLAINED
Before proceeding with the explana
tion, it is desirable to remove a mis
conception that might present itself in
connection with the explanation we have
given above. As the commotion in the
source of spirit must have preceded the
first spiritual manifestation or current,
the question naturally arises why it
should not be more correct to call the
holy name Soami Radha, that is to say,
in the sequence in which the action took
place. The answer to this apparent ano
maly is that the manifestation took place
by a process of attraction similar to that
exercised by magnetism (vide Article 63).
As the current is always towards the
source, its action so far as creation is
concerned takes place in the first instance
and subsequently the influence of the
source affects it, that is to say, the source
acts by means of currents. Prom the point
154 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
of view of creation, therefore, the proper
sequence is current first and focus subse
quently, and the name^Radhasoami^is not,
therefore,, in an inverted sequence.
67 — COMPONENT PARTS OF THE NAME
/ / / /
RADHASOAMI EXPLAINED
It is a matter which can he easily
observed that in imitating a sound such
as that of a whistle, bell, &c., the
instrument of articulation is required
to be put in a condition which corres
ponds , more or less j with the condition
which gave rise to the sound. It is well
known that in wind-instruments, the
vibrating column of air has to be set in
motion in* a tube, and the emanation of
this vibration from the open end of the
tube produces the sound peculiar to the
flute, clarionet, &c. Now, if we want to-
imitate the sound of a flute, we shall so
adapt our instrument of articulation as to>
produce a tube within it, with the open
end at the lips, and then set the aerial
ART. 67 SPIRIT-ELEVATION
column in vibration, which will issue
from the hole of the lips in some r
blance to the sound of a flute. The
sound of the sibilant ' S,' which is uttered
by adaptation of the instrument of speech
in a manner similar to that mentioned
above, will accordingly necessarily take
part in the imitation of a flute-sound, and
the flute-sound could never be imitated if
the sound of the letter ' S ' were not to he
used. Similarly, in imitating a bell-sound,
which is produced by a concentrated
shock on a part of a metallic disc or on
the side of a metallic vessel, the use of
the sound of a dental letter is indispens
able, as the striking can only be imitated
in the instrument of articulation^when the
tongue strikes the shut-teeth in uttering
dental letters. The bell-sound is accord
ingly imitated by the sound £ ding-dong '
in English, or by the sound 'tan-tan'
in Hindustani. It will be observed that
the initial letters are both dental, while
the closing letters are nasal. From what
156 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART H
we have stated above, the principle is estab
lished that the use of certain peculiar
letters is indispensable in imitating
sounds in articulate speech. Let us now
apply this principle to find out the letters
and their forms which would represent
in articulate speech the sound accom
panying the actions of a spirit-current and
its focus. We have already stated that
the action of the spirit-force is somewhat
similar to that of magnetism. The exam
ination of the conditions prevailing in a
field of magnetic force will, therefore,
serve our purpose. Ether in its normal
condition, as evolved in the course of
creation, consists of a homogeneous mass
capable of differentiation into two com
ponents already referred to as the positive
and negative ions. By the action of
energy from an extraneous plane, differ
entiation takes place, but the creational
tendency tends to restore the components
to the original natural condition. This
is the reason why the negative and
ART. 07 Sl'IKH KI.KVATIOX 157
positive poles atliact each other, and a
neutral zone is formed between the two.
In plain laim'uajjje, the formation of the
two poles of a field of magnetic force cor
responds to the storage of energy at one
place and its corresponding depletion at
another. If we look at individual ions in
a Held of magnetic force, we find that
they are subject to stress of two opposite
characters. All the ions are accordingly
in a state of subtle tremor. This is the
first ell'ect in a sphere of attractive force.
The prevailing attraction then resolves
into attraction-currents which are made
up of a series of such tremors in the same
direction. This is the state, to some
extent, of the action of a spirit-current.
Now, let us ascertain what letter-sounds
and their combinations will set up a
similar condition in the instrument for
articulation. The sound of '11' is one
which is produced by a most pronounced
vibration of the tongue, and this letter-
sound must, therefore, be used in the first
158 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
place for the purposes of imitation in
articulate speech of the sound accompany
ing the action of a spirit-current at any
point, which is one of tremor. The
attractive flow towards the centre has
next to be imitated, which is accomplished
by the use of a dental-aspirant letter-
-sound necessitating the initial drawal of
breath inwards. The letter-sounds 'Radha'
.are accordingly the nearest approach in
articulate speech of the subtle sound
-accompanying the action of a spiritual
.current.
08— THE ORIGIN OF FORMS
We have already stated that the source
of spirit is the true Supreme Being. That
source is infinite and all-surrounding;
•and the entire creation is but a speck in
it like a cloudlet in the sky. Whatever
forms we find in creation have received
their impress from the infinite form first
manifested by the Supreme Being, as form
is nothing but the arrangement into which
ART. 70 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 159
•energy resolves anything, and the prime
•energy emanated from the Supreme Being.
69 — THE PRIMEVAL FORM
The idea of infinitude precludes the
•conception of form, but we may, without
inconsistency, ascribe a form to the
infinite with reference to the first demar
cation introduced in it by the mani
festation of the prime spiritual current.
We have already said that the manifesta
tion of the current was preceded by a
•commotion in the source. The portion in
which this commotion took place was the
prime focus or kinetic centre of action. Its
form like the forms of other force-centres
was elliptical or egg-shaped. The natural
ellipsoids of force-action in nature unmis
takably reveal the impress of the first form.
70 — SOUND ACCOMPANYING FIRST COMMO
TION IN SPIRIT-SOURCE
Our object in ascertaining the form of
the first commotion is to find out what
160 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
the nearest approach in articulate speech
will be to the sound accompanying the
prime spiritual focus. In accordance with
the principle already enunciated, we*
should put our instrument of articulation
in a condition, which would, to some
extent, he like that of an ellipse, and then
utter a sound which would produce a
convergent action inwardly. If AVC
examine the conditions accompanying the
articulation of the sound ' Soami ' we find
the first part of it, viz., £ Soa ' produces
a hollo w within the mouth resembling an
r^^^4i_
ellipsoid and the next part sliuts it up
inwardly with convergent action. "VTc
are sensible that many details have been
left out in demonstrating that the sound
/ / j /
f lladhasoami ' is the nearest approach in
articulate speech to the sounds accom
panying the first spiritual*outflow ; but
from what we have said, it may be
assumed, with a fair degree of probability,
that the,, demonstration, although incom
plete to some extent, is not illogical,, and
ART. 71 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 161
that it is a step in advance of the state
ments made about the efficacy and form&
of holy names made on the basis of revela
tion alone. The demonstration we have
attempted to present is not of prime im
portance, as anything in the shape of theory
alone is ineffectual. It is experimentation
alone which leads to practical results every
where, and we would, therefore, lay special
stress that in considering the arguments,
we have set forth above, the investigation
should not end without a practical test.
What the marvellous effect of the supreme
holy name, Iladhasoami is, in respect of
the concentration it produces at the spiri
tual centre and in overcoming the outward
and material influences, can be experi
enced after a short trial, if the august name
be spiritually repeated in the correct way.
71 — KABIR SAHEB'S REFERENCE TO THE
' •//••'
SUPREME NAME RADHASOAMI
Wo have already said that Kabir Saheb
lias made a reference to the august holy
K
162 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
name mentioned above in one of His
holy pieces.
The verse which contains this reference
is : —
The English version of the couplet we
have quoted will be as follows : —
7 -^ *
Kabir saith, — The true spiritual guide
has shown the current of the inaccessible :
/ /
transpose it, affix it to Soami, and then
perform the repetition.
The term 6 transpose ' means that the two
letters ' dha ' and ' ra ' which constitute
the word ' dhara ' (current) should be
transposed, that is to say, the expres
sion ' dhara ' should be converted into
4 Kadha ' and then affixed to the expres
sion ' Soami/ and the two expressions
/ / / •
combined, viz., ' Radhasoami ' should
be repeated.
ART. 72 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 163
72 — DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF THE
EFFICACY OF THE THREE
METHODS OF PRACTICE
We have now completed the explana
tion of the three different spiritual
methods, by which the development of
the spiritual force and the ascent of the
spiritual entity to higher spheres are
accomplished. The method of spiritual
-or internal / repetition of the holy name,
Iladhasoami at the focus of the spirit-
entity, and the contemplation of the
image of a living true spiritual guide or
-adept at the same spot are usually per
formed during the earlier portion of a
devotee's spiritual training with the object
of spiritual concentration and develop
ment of the latent spiritual powers. This
preliminary training endows the spirit
with sufficient energy to attend to the
Bound-practice later on. The two preli
minary modes, referred to, are, however,
not discarded with the commencement of
164 S PHUT-DEVELOPMENT PART IT
the sound-practice. They are all along-
continued as part of the daily spiritual
training. The methods of repetition and
contemplation are at a later stage per
formed at centres higher than that of the
spirit- entity, and they are as efficacious in
awakening the potentialities of the higher-
spheres as they are in respect of the
potentiality of the spirit-centre. If the
adept, however, belongs to the second
grand division of creation, the contem
plation of his form has no effect when it
is performed at centres situated beyond
the centres appertaining to the regions of
the Universal Mind or Brahm. On the
contrary, it would constitute a positive
obstacle, if this course was persisted in.
The contemplation of the form of an
adept of the spiritual region, viz., of a
Sant Sat guru alone is prescribed. Of
course the contemplation of the image of
such a guide at lower centres is also very
beneficial, and the efficacy of this process-
is not confined to the centres of the purely
ART. 73 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 165
spiritual regions. This is the ground for
prescribing the contemplation of a Saint's
image from the commencement of the
spiritual training. The above remarks,
mutatis mutandis, apply to the repetition
of the holy name of Brahm, viz., ' Om '
and to the repetition of the supreme
11 Ty 'J ii * ' <
holy name, liadhasoami.
73 — CONTEMPLATION OF FORM DURING
PERIODS OF INTERREGNUM
We have already said that the contem
plation of the form of a living true guide
/ / / ^
is the one prescribed in Radhasoami
religion. From this it may be naturally
inferred that the practice of this method
is suspended during such periods as a true
spiritual guide is not present. Such is,
however, not exactly the case. During
the interregnum, so to say,' the image of
the last spiritual guide is contemplated,
and the process is attended with spiritual
concentration ; but there is a difference
in degree of concentration produced by
166 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
such contemplation and that produced by
the contemplation of the form of a living-
spiritual guide. The difference may not
be inaptly described as being somewhat
similar to the difference between the
feelings aroused by looking at the
likeness of a friend or relative who has
departed and those generated by their
thoughts when they are alive. In the
former case, sorrow at the separation is
the prevailing characteristic* in the latter
case, living interest and mutual affection,
felicity, and help are the predominant
features.
74 — EXACT PROCESSES OF DEVOTIONAL
METHODS CONFIDENTIAL
Our explanations of the three methods
of devotion, referred to, indicate the prin
ciples of the practice and the results which
take place by their performance. The
exact processes for the performance of
those practices constitute the confidential
portion of the religion revealed by the
ART. 75 SPIRIT-ELEVATION 167
/ / ' / '
gracious Radhasoami. They are explained
at the time of initiation^, which, however,
consists of the explanation of the methods
alone, and is not accompanied hy any
rituals or other secondary adjuncts. The
person initiated is, however, given clearly
to understand that he, as a gentleman, is
under a solemn obligation, not to reveal
the methods of the practices referred to.
No oaths are, however, taken, as a person
who cannot % stick to a solemn promise
made by him is wanting in honour, and
oaths are equally ineffectual in his case.
75 — INFLUENCE OF TEMPORAL CONDITIONS,.
INCLINATIONS, AND DESIRES ON PRACTICE
The practice of the spiritual training
explained by us is very largely influenced
by the temporal conditions which are
peculiar to a devotee's private and public
life, by his habits and food, by his
behaviour towards others, by the intensity
of his desire for name and fame, by the
strength of his attachment to his effects-
168 SPIRIT-DEVELOPMENT PART II
and relatives, and generally by the ties of
this world of whatever description they
may be. The rules of conduct prescribed
in respect of all these classes of influences
will be described later on in the conclud
ing portion of the part of this volume
assigned to karmas, i. e., the actions
performed by spirit-entities. Meanwhile,
we proceed to describe and explain the
order, economy, and object of the creation,
a,s the actions of the denizens of creation
.^are largely affected by creational laws, and
their comprehension will not be complete
^without a previous acquaintance with the
1 aws of creation.
PART III
Evolution of Creation, /. e., True Order,
Economy, and Object of Creation
76 — CONDITION BEFORE CREATION
§N describing the order of creation, it
is essential that the condition
preceding rachand, i. e., the evolution
of creation, should be clearly compre
hended in the first place. We accordingly
proceed to present an outline of that
condition. As theories and deductions
bas?d upon our experience are alone
entitled to scientific recognition, we must
seek in the nature within our ken for the
necessary materials to delineate the condi
tion referred to. We find that if we
commence a process of destruction of
everything in creation, the result will be
a transformation into subtler conditions,
which eventually would lead to a state
instinct with energy, but capable of
170 CREATION PART III
differentiation into the various degrees,
already existent in creation. This state
Gray, in the absence of a better expression,
e called the lower stratum of energy,
f such had not been the case, the crea
tion, as it is, would not have been possible.
It need hardly be remarked that the
premiss we have formulated is based upon
an unquestioned fact, viz., that the exist
ing creation is capable of inversion in the
manner mentioned above. The distinctive
feature of matter, as compared with force,
is the restrictive influence exercised by it
over the latter. The force imbibed by
the individual constituents of matter,
which may be atoms, ions, or something
subtler still, is always constrained ; and if
we push our research to the extreme, we
naturally fall back upon a condition
which is one of a field made up of innu
merable points, at which innumerable
currents of forces are acting in a self-
convergent direction, and producing a
vacuum of energy, so to say. This is the
ART. 77 ITS ECONOMY 171
reason why the ultimate characteristic of
the points, referred to, was distinguishable
from that of energy itself, that is to sa}V
the energy was latent in the points them-
wires, although they were the means by
which energy had acted in a convergent
direction within itself.
77 — POLARISATION OF THE PRIME ENERGY
It appears to be desirable to indicate
more clearly what we mean by the use
of the expression 6 latent energy ' men
tioned above. When energy is withdrawn
from a plane which is not its original
plane of existence to the original plane
itself, but is capable of manifesting itself
at the other plane,^it is said to be ' latent *•
at that plane. This withdrawal of energy
gave rise to a field of inanition of the
kind, referred to, and constituted the
lower pole of the eternal polarisation of
the prime energy. If such an eternal
polarisation did not exist, no subsequent
polarisation would have been possible, and
172 CREATION PART III
polarisation of the kind met with every
where in all forces of nature would have
been non-existent.
78 — ETERNAL POLARISATION IN THE
SUPREME BEING
We have already stated in Article 11
that the spirit-force is the one which
possesses prime energy, and that the
forces of nature have heen evolved hy the
association of this energy with media of
different degrees. We have also said that
the source of this prime spiritual energy,
which is all-powerful, all-wise, and all-
blissful, is the true Supreme Being
Himself. The inference, from what we
have stated above, would accordingly be
that there was an eternal polarisation in
the Supreme Being Himself.
79 — THE TWO POLES
The region from which the spiritual
force had been withdrawn to some extent,
was, in the technical language of the
ART. 71) ITS ECONOMY 178
religion of the Saints, His Feet, the other
portion, viz., where the spiritual force was
at its full, heing His Head. In scientific
language, the two poles may be spoken
of as the positive and negative spiritual
poles.
It is desirable to observe here that
there was not a complete absence of
spirituality from the negative pole.
There was considerable residual spiritual
energy in that pole also, but there was,
of course, less intensity. The impress
of this eternal condition is to be found
in the fact that the coarsest and densest
matter is not completely devoid of energy.
The idea of the existence of eternal
polarisation, of the kind we have been
speaking of, may naturally introduce an
association of finitude in the infinite,
as our ideas of polarisation are always
associated with finiteness of both poles.
In comprehending the condition of the
infinite, such associations should not,
however, be pressed forward in all their
174 CREATION PART III
-details, and the difference in degree in
the intensity of the spiritual force at the
two poles should alone be kept in view.
If we liken the negative and the positive
poles^ respectively, to a cloud floating in
the sky and the sky itself, this would be
the nearest approach in visual presenta
tion to the polarisation we have been
speaking of. It is hardly necessary to say
that this illustration at once dispels the
idea of finitude, which may have arisen in
-consequence of our association, inasmuch
as the cloud does not in any sense impose
-a limitation in the surrounding sky.
80 — THE INEFFABLE REFULGENCE OF
THE INFINITE POLE
The Supreme Being, besides being all-
powerful, all-wise, all-blissful, is also all-
luminous. All forces of nature, when they
are reduced to the subtlety of electricity,
can manifest themselves in a highly
refulgent condition, where the resistance
of the enveloping medium is overcome.
ART. 81 ITS ECONOMY 175
What must then be the refulgence of the
spirit-force, which is by far subtler than
-electricity, and which imparts its energy
to the electric force itself. Our ordinary
faculties of experience and imagination
are so insignificant that it is impossible to
conceive the immensity of the refulgence
and grandeur which adorn the beatitude
of the august Supreme Being. If our
vision were so empowered that the light
and joy could be perceived and enjoyed by
us in the case in which the refulgence of
billions and billions of solar orbs were
concentrated at one point at the same
moment, the light and ecstasy produced
by such a condition would still represent
the refulgence and the glory of the
Supreme Being on the same tiny scale as
the waves and the grandeur of the ocean
are represented by a drop of its water.
81 — THE NETHER POLE, SOURCE OF CREATION
Prom what we have stated above, a
very rough conception can be formed of
176 CREATION PART III
the ineffable refulgence of the infinite
pole of supreme spirituality. We shall
now present a similar outline of the lower
pole, viz., that situated at the feet of the
Supreme Being. It is self-evident, from
the hypothetical process of creational
inversion explained above, that the entire
creation is sprung from the lower pole.
Now, if we take a rough bird's-eye view
of the creation, we find that it is studded
with innumerable refulgent orbs known
as suns, stars, etc., in that portion which is
within the scope of our vision. This
region, as stated in Article 89, is comprised
in the third division of creation, technically
known as 'Pind'. Beyond this division,
and possessing a lustre and energy which
are immensely greater, is Brahmand, the
second grand division of creation. It is
clear, from what we have stated, that
these two divisions themselves contain
such an amount of light and refulgence
as cannot be conceived by the ordinary
faculties of sight and imagination. If we
ART. 82 ITS ECONOMV 177
add to the light and refulgence of Find
and Brahmand, the light and refulgence
of the purely spiritual regions below the
infinite eternal source of spirit, we shall
then arrive at the sum total of the reful
gence of the nether pole. For ordinary
purposes, this pole itself presented an
unbearable source of light, but viewed
side by side with the supreme light of
the infinite, it, of course, presented an
appearance of paleness somewhat similar
to the almost lustreless appearance of the
full moon in the presence of the over
powering refulgence of the sun.
82— SUBJECTIVE KNOWLEDGE —
NO ILLUSION
The description we have presented of
the two eternal poles, of course, represents
a delineation at the contemptibly low
plane of human intelligence. But if it
be contended that such a representation
does not portray the correct condition, the
rough sketch, we have attempted to
L
178 CREATION PART III
present becomes a matter of problem
atical accuracy. It, therefore, behoves us,
before proceeding further with the subject,
to remove the doubt introduced by the
possible objection indicated above. The
theory which gives rise to the objection
may be briefly stated as follows : — The
knowledge of the creation, we see, is
always generated by the subjective
impressions it produces within us. In
the absence of subjective impressions, we
know nothing of the creation. The
impressions, in question, constitute the
effect, and the creation which produces
those impressions is the cause. Now, if we
are aware of the effect, it does not follow
that we know the cause also. If, accord
ingly, all sentient entities who receive the
impressions were to disappear, the cause
would remain, but the effect would be
gone, and there would be a state which
O '
would not be the state of the effect. The
knowledge of creation, as we possess, is,
therefore, a knowledge of the sentient
ART. 82 ITS ECONOMY 179
entities, and not an absolute knowledge.
This theory is irrefutable, it' the assump
tion involved in it, viz., that sentient
entities alone possess the functions of
subjective knowledge, and that there is
nothing else in creation which possesses
such functions, holds good. It will,
however, be seen from what we have
-tated previously (vide Articles 16 to 22),
that all sentient entities are emanations of
various degrees from the infinite spiritual
source, the Supreme Being, that their
distinctive features, viz., intelligence, bliss,
and energy are derived from His essence,
and that the frame a spirit- entity has
created for itself has been built up on
lines similar to those employed for the
evolution of creation : in other words, the
spirit-frame is a microcosm or an image of
macrocosm. It is hardly necessary to
remark that the subjective functions, too,
of a spirit are an infinitesimal image of the
subjective or intelligent attribute of the
Supreme Being. The inference, therefore,
180 CREATION PART III
is irresistible tliat the creation appears to
us substantially in the same form in which
it appears to the Supreme Being, and that
that alone is its correct form. Our sub
jective knowledge, if based on facts and
correct application of induction, should
not, therefore, even in the abstract, be
relegated to the category of illusions.
83 THE POSITIVE DISTINGUISHED FROM
THE NEGATIVE POLE
Before creation, the Supreme Being
alone existed, of course, in a state of
spiritual polarisation, as already stated.
His condition was one of intense rapture
within Himself, the entire mass of the
infinite supreme spirituality constituting,
as it were, a single being. In this
Supreme Being there was 110 form, there
was no colour, there was no demarcation.
The intensest form of the bliss of love,
the most refulgent lustre, the all-knowing
intelligence, the all-powerful energy — all
these existing as one constituted the
ART. ^ 1 ITS ECONOAI V 181
essence of this august Supreme Being.
The condition of the nether pole which
Avas somewhat different, in consequence
of a lesser degree of spirituality from the
all- hill spirituality, viz., the Supreme
Hring referred to, was, of course, all known
(o the Supreme Being; hut the lower pole
itself did not actively participate in the
all-conscious attribute peculiar to the
complete spirituality surrounding it. It
vvas in a trance-like condition of existence.
There was a gradation in this pole, the
portions adjoining the spirit-source heing
comparatively more spiritual than the
portions close toy and at/the pole-centre.
The spiritual deficiency, as already stated,
had heen produced in the region occupied
by this pole, by a withdraAval of spirituality
in the direction of the Supreme Being.
81 — ORIGINAL SPIRIT-ENTITIES AS
CONSTITUTED
Before creation the withdrawal, referred
to above, maintained the existence of the
182 CREATION PART III
nether pole in its eternal form of haziness
by means of subtle attraction. The
attractive lines, which produced this
condition, were composed of innumerable
points acting in the same direction. The
mxea action ^constituted the spirituality
which was ever in conjunction with the
Supreme Being Himself, and by means of
which the entire condition of the nether
pole was within the cognisance of the
Supreme Being. Similarly, the coarsest
and densest part of the creation is within
His cognisance by the spirituality,
howsoever feeble it may be, existing in its
innermost quarter. The innermost spiri
tuality is thus e^er awake, and the outer
cover, so to say, only becomes uncon
scious. The individual points in the pole^
considered separately from the united
current were unconscious, and these
constituted the original spirit-entities.
It may be desirable to observe here,
again, that our association of a point should
not give us an idea of insignificance in
ART. SI- ITS ECONOMY 183
respect of the potentialities of the points
or spirits referred to. The individual ray
of the sun as compared with the individual
ray of an ordinary lamp is very much
stronger in lisrht and divers other func-
o o
tions. There is, of course, no fear of this
difference being overlooked as we have
experience of the effects of both. In
those cases, however* in which the ex
perience is confined to one side of the
parallel alone, our knowledge is often very
misleading, and the ordinary words, too,
convey different impressions. Whenever
we spea*k of the ' sun,' the word conveys
the idea of a bright dazzling disc as we
see it. Now, if one had such a strong and
extended vision that he could see the sun
in its actual great dimensions and reful
gence, as we see an orange, the word 'sun*
when used by such a one would convey an
entirely different i4e» to that conveyed by
the use of the same word 'sun' by us.
Those remarks entirely apply to the ideas
we have been attempting to present. The
184 CREATION PART III
spirits or points should not be viewed as
trifles, but as centres of great potentiality
and attraction surrounded by covers pro
duced by their individual actions as dis
tinguished from their united action.
Their subsidiary covers or conditions may
well be likened to sub-tones produced
along with the main tone. Under these
covers, the spirits fay in a comatose con
dition before creation, owing to the main
portion of their spirituality being united
in co -eternal conjunction with the
supreme source. The united action pro
duced the lower pole as a whole, while the
individual actions produced the covers
referred to.
85 — THE PRIME CURRENT PRECEDED BY
COMMOTION IN THE SUPREME SOURCE
We have stated that the united action
of the points represented the eternal
subtle attraction, which for periods incon
ceivable had no appreciable effect in pro
ducing a further differentiation. In the
ART. 85 ITS ECONOMY 185
fulness of time, however, an accentuation
bewail to make itself manifest. The spi
ritual depletion in the lower pole which
had already existed began to be further
polarised, in other words, spirituality in.
excess of that already withdrawn was
further attracted towards the infinite ocean
of the positive pole, viz., the Supreme
Bring, and the depletad^portion, sh,orn
further of its essence, ivcrdcd further
from Him. This process which imme
diately preceded the creation continued
to act for some time, and when the
proper time arrived, the first great cur
rent of spirituality issued from that region
of the supreme source which was nearest
to the lower pole. The issue of this
-current was, of course, preceded by a
commotion in that region, and it was a
manifestation of the eternal energy by
means of a process of spiritualisation
similar to the process of magnetisation
(vide Article 63), the object being that
whatever was capable of constituting a
186 CREATION PART III
region fit to form an extension, so to say,
of the original spirit-source, should he lo
cated within the purview of the Supreme
Being, and he so highly spiritualised that
any deficiency in its spirituality, as com
pared to that of the supreme source
itself, should not he suhject to the con
ditions peculiar to the more accentuated
form of the lower pole of which we shall
speak shortly.
86 THE SOUND AND SPIRIT CURRENTS
The uniting faculty of the spirit-energy
is the spiritual sound-current ; and the
centre-forming faculty of the same force
constitutes the spirit-current. The two
are dependent upon each other. The
sound is the active form and the spirit is
the focus form of the same force. The
sound attracts and the spirit forms the
reservoir. These distinguishing features
of the two currents gave rise subse
quently to the differentiation of sexes in
animate existence.
ART. 87 ITS ECONOMY 187
87 — THE PURELY SPIRITUAL REGION AND
ITS SIX SUBDIVISIONS
As the Supreme Being Himself was in
a state of eternal polarisation, consisting
of three distinct regions, viz., the infinite
region of full spirituality, the region of
the neutral zone, and the region of the
lower pole, the sound and spirit currents,
which emanated from Him at the time of
creation and were^to some extent^like the
two currents accompanying the process
of animate respiration, also resolved them
selves in the region which was directly
within the purview of the Supreme Being^
into three divisions each. In the case of
animate respiration, the oxygen which
is taken in conies out with an admixture
of the main constituent of the human
frame, viz., as carhonic acid gas. In
the Supreme Being Himself, there i&
nothing else but pure spirituality of the
highest degree, and therefore the out-
coming (respiration) breath is steeped in
188 CREATION PART III
this spirituality. The outward spirit-
current is, therefore, as spiritual as the
inward current of sound which is absorbed
in Him. The three subdivisions of the
first set, i. e., the polarisation of the
sound-current, are known as Radhasoami*
Agam (inaccessible), and Alakh (invisible),
and the three subdivisions of the other
set, viz., the polarisation of the spirit-
current are known as Anami, Satyalok,
and Vramargupha. As the spirit-current,
Avhich is one of attraction, extends out
wards by a process of spiritualisation, it
has a somewhat lower location than the
sound-current itself, which is one of pure,
inward action. The second set of the
three subdivisions mentioned above
accordingly occupies a lower position than
that of the first set, and in spirituality,
too, it is of a somewhat lesser degree. In
.the six subdivisions we have mentioned,
the two currents are not distinguishable,
and both act together, their joint action
-being similar to the conjoint, attractive,
ART. 88 ITS ECONOMY
and magnetising functions of the mag
netic force. The existence of these two
currents, however, has given rise to the
six subdivisions referred to. Hitherto we
have spoken only of the main sub
divisions of the spiritual regions evolved
at the time of creation. We would now
describe in some further detail the pre
siding deities and the denizens of these
o
spheres.
88— THE DENI/KXS OF THE PURELY
SPIRITUAL REGIONS
Since the time the subtle attraction
began to assert itself in an appreciable
form, the covers or coatings produced by
the individual spirit-action receded fur
ther and took their location at the strata
suitable for them. The spirits so shorn
of their original comatose covers woke
up, as it were, from their eternal sleep,
inasmuch as the individual currents were
largely relieved of the strain involved in
maintaining the individual covers, and
190 CREATION PART III
inasmuch as they received additional
spirituality by being drawn to higher spiri
tual planes. This wakening up is entirely
similar to that which takes place when the
ego passes from the plane of deep slumber
to that of the astral creation appertaining
to trance. In this condition of trance, the
respiration and the circulation of the
entire physical frame are at a standstill,
inasmuch as the main spiritual currents,
which sustain the wakeful, dream, and
deep slumber conditions, have been
attracted to the astral plane, f The same
remarks apply to the condition of spirit at
the time of death. It is, however, in that
state drawn up to a higher plane still^)
On the arrival of the spirit at the astral
plane, it assumes a subtle body, somewhat
similar to its physical body, the materials
of the subtle body being supplied out of
the subtle surroundings of the astral
plane. Similarly, on the spirits being
liberated from their original comatose
covers, they assumed spiritual bodies
AllT. 88 ITS ECONOMY 191
of the higher spiritual planes to which
they had been attracted. These higher
spiritual planes, however, represented the
comatose strata which had fallen down
from their original planes of location,
by the attractive action mentioned
above. This shifting of strata imparted
•even to those strata which had fallen
below a kinetic energy of the conscious
united spirit- current, and they were
thus endowed with intelligence as a
whole. The bodies constructed out of
such covers could not, therefore, obstruct
the kinetic spirituality developed in indi
vidual spirits. These spirits are known
as hansas and pa ram hausas, with refer
ence to the lower or higher spiritual
spheres they belong to. The spirits of
the higher three subdivisions would be
jnf/'<'m. h (t nsas, while those of the lower
three spheres would be hansas only.
Although the sex-distinction is not
marked in the purely spiritual regions,
jet those may be grouped in a male class
192 CREATION PART III
in whom the sound-action predominates-
to some extent ; the remaining spirits
might come under the category of a
feminine group in whom the spirit-action
is prominent. It is, however, necessary
to observe that the two classes should in
no circumstances be held to be associated
with any sex-functions of the kind met
with in this world.
89 — AGAM PURUSH, THE FIRST FOCUS OF
THE PRIME CURRENT, AND THE ORIGIN
OF LUNAR AND SOLAR ORBS
The first focus, formed by the issue of
the original supreme spirit -current from
the supreme source, became the first
presiding deity of the sphere below the
infinite sphere of the Supreme Being,
Hadhasoami. This presiding deity is
known as the Agam Purush and repre
sents that vast spirituality which had been
assimilated in the supreme source during
the creational process, enhanced consider
ably by the union it had with the
ART. S<) ITS ECONOMY
Supreme Hring, and ever maintained at
that enhanced kinetic spiritual level, in
consequence of the connection established
with the prime current since. The great
reason of the issue of the prime current,
besides that of its spiritualising effect, was
that the Supreme Being could not, from
the essence of His own eternal condition,
assimilate permanently within Himself,
any portion of that spirituality to which
He had assigned a stratum lower than His
own supreme source during the eternal
polarisation preceding the creation. On
the contrary, He returned that spiritu
ality highly charged with His own essence
when the proper time arrived for such a
course, the immensely gracious object
being that the nether pole itself, with the
innumerable spirit-entities in it, should be
brought to a state of conscious, blissful
existence, the potentiality being replaced
by kinetic life.
The supreme refulgence, which accom
panied the issue of the prime current,
M
194 CREATION PART III
studded in sheets, as it were, the surround
ing regions with orbs, technically known
as suns and moons, the prevailing energy
in the former being that of sound-force,
and that of the latter being that of the
spirit-force. By means of these orbs the
spirituality of the supreme source was
supplied to the region referred to. The
suns and stars and other orbs, found in
that part of the creation in which we live,
diffuse energy in a similar manner. The
spiritual orbs mentioned above also sup
plied places of abode to the spirits or deni
zens of that region. It is hardly neces
sary to mention that these orbs were in
telligent and conscious like the other parts
of the purely spiritual creation. The region
we have been speaking of is the one
surrounding that portion of the supreme
source from which the prime current
emanated. The sphere evolved by Agam
Purush is situated below this region, which
might accordingly be called the august
portal of the Supreme Being, Radhasoami.
ART. 90 ITS ECONOM V 195
90 — CREATION OF THE REMAINING
FOUR SPHERES OF THE PURELY
SPIRITUAL REGION
The formation of the first focus natur
ally took some time, and when it was com
pleted, the Agam Purush, or the presiding
deity of the second highest spiritual sphere,
manifested Himself as a most resplendent
sea of spirit. Into this vast sea, the
prime current poured its spirituality,
as it were, and became invisible beneath
it. The process of creation thereafter was
carried on by Agam Purush on the same
lines as the original process started by the
supreme source. The sphere of Agam
Purush, and the lunar and the solar orbs,
and the spirits or denizens thereof, were
evolved by Him. The above remarks
apply also to the evolution of the remain
ing four spheres of the purely spiritual
region. It may be observed here that in
each set of the three upper and the three
lower spheres of the purely spiritual region,
196 CREATION PART III
the sphere at the top merely furnishes
spiritual energy to the two lower spheres,
but does not take an active part in the
regulation of the creation of those spheres.
The economy mentioned above is to some
extent observable in our frames. The
spirit-entity supplies the necessary vital
energy, but the frame and its functions,
whether they be subtle or coarse, are
maintained and kept working by mind
and the material forces.
91 — MAHASUNNA — ITS SIX SUBTLE
SUBDIVISIONS
We have already mentioned that the
spiritual regions constituted, as it were,
an extension of the infinite region of the
Supreme Being Himself. The six spheres,
referred to, thus became a part and parcel
of the supreme spiritual pole, and are,
therefore, immune from all changes and
dissolution. The creational process,
explained above, which resulted in that
part of the precreational eternal zone,.
•
ART. 91 ITS ECONOMY 197
.which adjoined the supreme source, being
converted into purely spiritual regions,
caused a gap, as it were, below these
regions. This vast i^-ip is known in the
religion of the Saints as the region of
Muhusunna. This constitutes the barrier
between the spiritual regions and the
regions of the Universal Mind or Brahm,
which latter, as we shall presently explain,
were evolved out of the lower part of the
pivcreational neutral /one. As the gap,
ivl'erred to, or Mahasunna, was constantly
under the strain of the creational process
employed in the evolution of the spiritual
regions, it received a subtle impress of the
purely spiritual regions, and subtle sub
divisions corresponding to the spiritual
subdivisions were formed in it. These
subtle regions may be called sub-tones
of the purely spiritual regions. The
creational process of the subtle regions,
just referred to, was started by Sohang
Punish, the presiding deity of the lowest
spiritual region, viz., Vramarguplui.
198 CREATION PART III
92 — THE EMANATION OF KAL PURTJSH
AND ADYA
The first creational impulse seems to
have spent itself by the creation of the
spiritual regions, and there was accord
ingly a cessation for some time in the work
of creation. During this period of cessa
tion, the precreational eternal energy
(action), however, continued to work with
augmented speed in consequence of the
influence exercised over it by the lower
parts of the already created spiritual
regions. These lower spiritual parts, al
though they had been spiritualised to such
an extent as to be fit for association with
the region of the supreme source, w
to some extent, still associated with the
spirituality of a lower degree, the crea
tional action involved in the formation of
the subregions of Mahasunna being not
sufficient to eliminate it entirely. This
residual shortcoming 'was subsequently
removed,, when the creational process
ART. 92 ITS ECONOMY 199
commenced again. * It may IDG mentioned
here, by the way, that the fifth subdivi
sion of a set of six subdivisions is the one,
which is endowed with generative func
tions. For instance, the fifth nervous
centre _, reckoned downwards from the
ft+~ ?*+£ W . . ,
centre of ^the spirit- entity, viz., that situ
ated within the organ of reproduction, is
endowed with generative or sexual func
tions. The fifth sphere of Brahmancl
viz., that of Brahma is similarly endowed.
In these regions, viz., in the third
grand division and in the second grand
division of creation, the distinction be
tween the male and female generative
functions is manifest. In the first grand
division, however, as we have already
stated, these two functional features are
merged in each other, and sexual func
tion of the kind met with here does not
exist. The fifth sphere of the purely
spiritual regions, viz., Satyalote-was, how
ever, the place in which the commingling
of the spirit and sound currents occurred
200 CREATION PART III
in a pronounced form. At the next stage
of creation, these functional qualities, to
gether with the lower spirituality imbibed
during the interval of creational rest,
referred to, were cast out as separate
currents. The first current which ema
nated from the presiding deity of Satyal
that is, Satya Purushf- being the offshoot
cast off by the sound-current, had great
kinetic power in overcoming resistance
of every description, and is known as the
Kal Purush$*)r Brahm. He was void of
the centre- forming capacity^ and , accord
ingly 7 could not alone perform the work
of creation in the lower strata of the
neutral eternal zone. The second current,
Avhich emanated from Satya PuruslPoeing
an offshoot of the spirit- current of the
purely spiritual region, had within it the
capacity of forming centres, and was
associated with countless spirit-entities
or points which had not sufficient spiri
tuality in them, or which were not suffi
ciently pure to remain in the spiritual
ART. iK> ITS ECONOMY 201
region^. The colour of the current of Kal
Purush^was a du//ling bluish tint, as com
pared with the refulgence of the spiritual
regions, while that of the other current,
which is technically known as Adya, was
-a greenish yellow hue.
(.):> — EVOLUTION OF THE CONSTITUENTS
AND SIX SUBDIVISIONS OF BRAHMAND
The issue of the currents of Kal Purusha,
/ /
and Adya from Satyalokoentirely removed
from the sphere that condition of lower
spirituality which was not fit for associa
tion with the purely spiritual regions,
and at the same time supplied the neces
sary factors for the creation of Brahmand.
It may be observed here that the action
of these two currents was outward, or
-contrary to the purely spiritual action, as
their functions appertain to the region
adjoining the region proper of the original
net her pole. This region of Kal Purushd
and Adya is known as Brahmand, and its
upper boundary is contiguous with the
202 CREATION PART III
lowest part of the creation of Mahasunna,
which lowest part is the sphere of Akshar
Purush (Imperishable Deity) . This deity,
being one of the subordinate deities of the
sub-spiritual creation of Mahasunna, is
like them almost immune from dissolu
tion, and is accordingly called the Akshar
Purush. The currents of the Kal Purush
and Adya formed the first focus in a
somewhat commingled condition in con
junction with the seat occupied by Akshar
Purush. Here the two currents in ques
tion are respectively known as Purush
and Prakriti. As Akshar Purush was an
emanation of the purely spiritual region,
he occupied with reference to Brahmand
the same position as that occupied by
the individual human spirit with refer
ence to the physical frame and the mind.
His sphere is, therefore, known as the
true Xtma Pad (spirit-pole) of Brahmand ;
and the Akshar Purush, being the great
spirit of the nether pole, an adept who
succeeds in effecting a union with him is
ART. 93 ITS ECONOMY 203
most appropriately called a Mahdtmd
(great spirit). The conjunction of Ival
and Adyawith the Akshar Purush Result
ed in the supply of considerable vital
energy to them, and the work of creation
of Brahman d commenced forthwith. In
accordance with the methods em ployed for
the evolution of creation of the spiritual
regions, currents issued forth from the
tPurush, Prakrit i, and the Akshar Purush,
and completed the work of creation of the
spheres appertaining to them. These
three currents are manifest in this sphere
and are known as Tribeni. The focus or
reservoir, which is directly below the seat
of Akshar Purush himself, is known as
Mansarovar, and immersion in this reser
voir of spirituality purifies the adept,,
who reaches that stage, of all subtle im
purities of Brahmand, that he may have
imbibed during his upward journey
through the region of the Kal Purush, viz.,
Brahm or the Universal Mind. The
point at which these three currents first
CREATION PART III
converged is known as Trikuti, L e., the
place of three elevations or prominences.
These three prominences are known as
Meru, Sum^rw, and K%ilash. Here the
JL GJL Qd- J^-***
two currents, which had ceme from Satya-
lok manifested themselves as Brahm and
Maya. As the original strata at this place
Avere comparatively heavy or less spiritual,
the creational shifting cast out a large
volume of cover-clouds composed of
extremely fine constituents known as
paramdnu (molecules). These paramanus
are infinitely finer than the ordinary
molecules and ions we are familiar with,
and should not be confounded Avith them.
The deficiency of spirituality in the region
of Trikuti, as compared with the spiritu
ality of the sphere above it, viz., Sunna or
Dasamadwar, appeared in a more pro
nounced form, and the visual effect pro
duced by it was a highly refulgent, red
hue, like that of the rising sun. The three
•currents united in their course downwards
from Trikuti, and tAVO fresh main currents
ART.
ITS ECONOMY 205
from Maya and Hrahm also started down
wards. Tlio centre where these two
currents took their third location is
known as Saliasdal Kamal (tlie thousand-
petalled lotus), and Maya and Erahm
here assumed the form of Jyoti Xarayan
(or Niranjan).
As the three currents, referred to, had
started from a region of three pro
minences, the impress of the form of
their location was imparted to the course
carved out by them in their descent to
Saliasdal Kamal. This path is known as
Bankanal (crooked tunnel). From the
point from which the united three currents
commenced their course downwards, the
path goes up first and is then followed by
a descent. These three currents are the
subtlest latent forms of the three
y unas (qualities) we shall speak of
presently, one being highly charged with
spirituality, the second with generative
functions, and the third with the quality
of destruction. At Trikuti these three
206 CREATION PART III
currents and the currents of Maya and
Brahm acting upon the molecules,
referred to, produced five distinct, al
though very subtle and almost impercep
tible, strata or layers in them. These
are the subtlest forms of the five condi
tions of matter, referred to, in Article 12.
The condition of matter separated by the
Brahm-current was the dJcdsh tattwa
(ether), that separated by Maya was the
agni tattwa (fire), and those evolved by
the preservative, the generative, and the
destructive qualities respectively were the
vdyu (gas), the jal (liquid), and the
pritthwi (solid) tattwas (elements or
conditions) respectively. The matter
(or molecules), which had fallen down
wards at the creational shifting applied
at Trikuti, carried the impress of these
five conditions downwards, and manifested
itself at Sahasdal Kamal as the five distinct
elements mentioned above. As these
elements were much subtler than ions,
-and as they were highly charged with
ART. (.K> ITS ECONCnn 207
•energy, they issued forth from Sahasdal
Kamal as five distinct currents of radiance
x)f different hues. The hue of ether
or sky was of a dark bluish colour, that
of fire of red colour, and those of vdt/u,
jd, and prilUiici, greenish, white, and
yellow colours, respectively.
/•y^x x3L
No soonerHthe five tattwas emanateH
from Sahasdal Kamal than they were
subjected to further action. The three
qualities and Jyoti and Niranjan, each
acting on the five tattwas separately,
produced twenty-five sub -constituents of
the five tattwas, each possessing a
distinctive property peculiar to it. These
twenty-five constituents are known as the
twenty-five prakritis or properties.
Concomitantly with the grouping of
tattwas and prakritis in the manner
indicated above, the creational process of
constituting the sphere of Sahasdal Kamal
was at work. Eight main currents were
-engaged in this creational work. These
currents consisted respectively of the
208 CREATION PART III
/
currents of Jyoti and Niranjan and of
those of the three qualities split up into
male and female currents each. With
reference to these currents alone, the
Sahasdal Kamal is also technically called
the Ashtadal Kamal (eight-petalled lotus).
Each of these eight currents first attracted
and assimilated fire distinct leaves, so to
say, of the five tattwas. Thereafter, the
individual leaves, so constituted, each
attracted and evolved twenty-five sub-
leaves of tiiepratritis. These final leaves,
thus arranged round the eight main
currents, produced a ramification of one
thousand petals, and the sphere is accord
ingly spoken of, with reference to them,
as the lotus of one thousand petals.
After the formation of this lotus, the
two currents of Jyoti and Niranjan took
their final abode. They could not go down
further, in consequence of the negative
strata below Sahasdal Kamal being not
suitable for their energy. The three
qualities, which had hitherto remained
ART. 94 ITS ECONOMV
concealed, as it were, within the sphere
of Saliasdal Kamal, now issued forth as the
three sons of Narayan, and became the
deities of their respective spheres which
are located one below the other. These
deities are known as Vishnu, Brahma, and
Shiva. Their spheres are in the order in
which their names are mentioned. The
evolution of these three spheres completed
the set of the six subdivisions of Brali-
mand, which, as already stated (vide
Article 91), occupy the lower part of the
precreational neutral zone. Hitherto, we
have been speaking of the evolution of
the constituents and of the six subdivi
sions of Brahmand. We now proceed to
say something about the spirituality and
the denizens of these regions.
(.) 1 THK SI'IKITUALITY OF BRAHMAND
AM) ITS DENIZENS
The spirituality from Siinna, the top
sphere of Brahmand, down to the next
sphere, viz., Trikuti, is of a very high
H
210 CREATION PART III
order, so much so that it does not compare
very unfavourably with the spirituality of
the higher planes. Erom Trikuti down
wards, however, the spirituality has lost
its pure distinctive feature in consequence
of admixture with subtle matter, viz.,
molecules, and is technically known, down
from that sphere, as prdti, which should
not he confounded with taiju tattwa
(gaseous condition of matter). On the
issue of the three currents, which origin-
.ally started from Sunna (vide Article 93),
from the lower end of Bankanal (the
crooked tunnel), they separated into three
subtle currents known as irrd^plngald, and
sitshamnd. The last occupies the middle
position, while irra dtfApingala are respec
tively on the left and right sides. These
three main currents are the channels or
.arteries through which spirituality is
•supplied to the lower portion of Brahmand.
Orbs, somewhat similar to those of the
purely spiritual regions, were evolved
by the three spiritual currents which
ART. 1).") ITS ECONOMY
rnmnnted from Smina. A third class was,
however, formed of them, in consequence
<>!' their having taken origin from three
distinet sources. The two classes have the
distinctive features of suns and moons
stated .previously (vide Article 89), while
the third elass consists of tdrds, which
should not he confounded with the stars
we see, which are themselves suns and
moons. The third class possesses the
distinctive features of planets.
!).") -THE DENIZENS OF THE SPIRITUAL
CREATION
As the purely spiritual creation, apart
from the presiding deities and the deni-
/ens thereof, wras itself intelligent, the
covers or bodies constructed out of the
materials of such creation did not require
any special arrangement for the establish
ment of communication with the spiritual
macrocosm. The covers themselves, as
they were, served this purpose, and
enabled the spirits seated within them to
212 CREATION PART III
acquire a complete experience and know
ledge of the creation around them. A
somewhat similar condition obtains in
the case of the denizens of the top sphere
of Brahmand, viz., Sunna, They are
also accordingly known as hansas. The
sex-distinction is, however, to some
extent, manifest in them, although the
sex-functions do not exist. The members
of the class in which the female element
predominates are known as hansinis^
while the remaining denizens form the
class of hansas.
96 — THE TANMATRAS — THE SUBTLEST
PARTICLES OF MATTER
The matter or molecules which issued
forth from Trikuti (vide Article 93) is void
of intelligence, although it is very subtle
and pure and highly charged with energy.
Simple covers out of such a material were,
therefore, not sufficient for the percep
tion of the outer world. At Trikuti, the
five senses were created in their subtlest
ART. i)7 ITS ECONOMY 213
form, with the object of endowing the
-denizens of that place and those of the
lower emit ion, with the necessary means
•of holding communication with, and
acquiring a knowledge of, the surround
ing creation. The subtlest and the
minutest particles, technically known as
I n HIH tit nix, were associated with each
spirit, and they formed suitable media for
receiving impressions from the five differ
ent kinds of matter already evolved there.
97 — THE TANMATRAS OF ELEMENTS — THE
CONSTITUTION OF FORMS AND
FUNCTIONS OF THE SENSES
The taumatra of akash tattwa was
located within the sense of hearing, while
those of the remaining four latlicas, viz.,
".'/"', >""//", jal, and prltthwl were located
in the senses of sight, smell, taste, and
touch respectively. As ether is the most
^ubtle condition of matter and is highly
diur-vd witli energy, the faculty of
sound-perception may be stated to be
214 CREATION PART III
synonymous with the faculty of force-
perception, and as soon as a force is
resolved to the ethereal plane, it is felt as-
sound. Here we are looking at force with
reference to its action as a kinetic current,
without taking into consideration the
eventual effect produced hy it. When the
stage arrives at which the current forms a
focus, the effect manifests itself in the
grouping of the ungrouped molecules into
a condition which is known as form. The
constituents of akash cannot group them
selves in the manner indicated ahove, and
akash is, therefore, considered to he form
less and incapable of producing forms.
This conception, however, requires quali
fication. We have already stated in
Article 93, that akash was evolved as sepa
rate strata of the molecules evolved at
Trikuti during the creation of that sphere-
Accordingly, akash occupies a separate
sphere of its own helow Trikuti, and with
reference to this sphere, it is not formless
as a whole. Akash, accordingly, serves a
AKT. 1)7 ITS ECONOMY 215
purpose of vehicle of higher forces in the
economy of creation. Next to akasli, ctyni
is the most subtle condition of matter out
of the four remaining tattivas. Out of
the molecules of agni (heat), form has
been, evolved by the action of the neces
sary force which is applied on them
through fl/w.s7/, and which is ever asso
ciated with akasht although producing
no effect on the latter, and which can be
carried by means of the light-currents
propagated through akctsh to the sense of
sight and perceived there as form. The
carriage of forms to the eye, in the
manner indicated above, is somewhat
similar to the carriage of the aqueous
vapour by means of air. Light devoid of
all admixture with conditions of matter,
other than the ethereal, is pure electricity
of the third grand division of creation,
and cannot be perceived by the sense of
sight. Its refulgence is perceived when
the spirit-force is developed. All the
lights that we see in this creation, be
216 CREATION PART III
they stellar, solar, electric, etc., are ever
highly charged with atoms other than the
constituents of ether, viz., ions. The
admixture of these atoms, which in the
case of heat are ordinary atoms in a
condition of disintegration (vide Article
11), imparts the distinctive characteristics
of the various forms of light. The sense
of sound is, therefore, subtler than the
sense of sight, and all sounds are ever asso
ciated with forms in a hidden or latent
condition. Whenever matter is reduced
to the condition of vayu tattiva, it is
perceived by the sense of smell.
98 — THE CAUSE OF SOME GASES AND SUB
STANCES BEING ODOURLESS AND TASTELESS
We would make a small digression here
Avith the object of explaining the cause of
some gases and substances being odourless
and tasteless respectively. We have
stated above that the minutest particle
of each of the five conditions of matter is
at the centre of each of the five senses.
ART. 98 ITS ECONOMY 21?
These minutest particles are in the same
planes as the tat lira* they appertain to.
Accordingly, a laltira itself, so long as it
is not subjected to some extraneous action
<>r admixture, does not produce any action
upon the sense which contains its tanmatra.
Vayn alone would not, therefore, affect the
sense of smell, or such of the permanent
gases as approach it in subtlety of their
•constitution. We have already said in
Article!)?, that the idea of five tattwas
is the one appertaining to the peculiar
grouping of the molecules of each of them,
and in considering the subject, this con
ception should not be confounded with
the gross forms of gases, liquids, solids,
<>tc., met with here. The above remarks
apply mutatis mutandis to all the remain
ing senses.
To elucidate the matter further we/
would, however, add another illustration.
So long as the condition of heat does not
reach that stage of subtlety in which
atoms are fit to be associated with the
218 CREATION PART III
kinetic energy which agitates the ethereal
plane, it merely affects the sense of touch
by the action it produces upon the physi
cal hody, hut it is not seen as light. As-
soon as, hoAvever, the subtle condition,
referred to above, is reached, this condi
tion affects the tanmatra of heat in the eye,
and light is perceived. In short, when
the five conditions of matter are so agi
tated as to affect their subtle planes, the
sentient entities, who happen to be present
within the field of such agitation, receive
the impression at the sense concerned and
feel it as sound, light, smell, taste, or
touch, as the case may be. It frequently
happens that a single agitation, which is,
of course, produced by energy, may affect
more than one sense. In that case, there
might be a concomitant experience to the
different senses that are affected. A
report produced by a combustible sub
stance, for example, affects the senses of
hearing and sight and in some cases of
smell too. The sense of hearing on the
ART. 90 ITS ECONO^M
face of it produces an impression that it
is much grosser than the sense of sight,
and it will therefore be advantageous to
explain clearly lio\v the contrary of such a
notion holds good.
!)!) — Till, si \SE OF HEARING SUBTLER
THAN THE SENSE OF SIGHT
All sounds, as we experience them here*
are produced by the action of energy
when that action is communicated to the
apparatus of hearing. This apparatus,
as it exists in our body, is made of solid,
liquid, and to some extent gaseous sub
stances. The force which affects a solid,
a liquid, or a gaseous plane could, there
fore, alone act upon our physical
apparatus of hearing. This explanation,,
however, refers to that stage in which
communication of the force is confined to-
the grosser planes of hearing referred to.
All forces, however, have subtler forms
other than those produced as effects upon
the grosser planes, and it is the subtle
220 CREATION PART III
form which is heard as sound, as we shall
explain presently.
It will be observed from Article 8, that
constant exercise since birth has developed
the various functions appertaining to the
physical frame, and that whatever our sub
jective knowledge is, that, too, has been
obtained through impressions initially
conveyed within by means of the physi
cal frame. The subtle media of receiving
impressions, therefore, depend entirely
upon the physical apparatus for the con
veyance of impressions to them. Accord
ingly, when anything affects the physi
cal apparatus, then alone the subtle media
within are excited, and in that condition
alone the sense concerned becomes cogni
sant of the effect. Now, in the case of
hearing, if the force had not reached a
stage where it could affect the physical
constituents of the sense of hearing, it
would have no effect upon that sense,
inasmuch as the hearing faculty is kinetic
in our body, as stated above, only when it
ART. 99 ITS ECONOMY 221
is associated with the physical apparatus.
A converse condition of communication
takes place when tlie force reaches the-
physical apparatus of hearing, /. e., from
the physical plane of that apparatus the
force in its subtle aspect communicates
itself to the tanmatra within. AVhat that
sul)t le aspect is, we now proceed to explain.
We have stated above that the force
which all'ecls the physical apparatus of
hearing can alone he felt as sound. As
the constituents of that apparatus are the
solid, liquid, and gaseous conditions of
matter, it is clear that the force which
acts upon them is practically acting upon
the force of gravitation, for all these con
ditions of matter are maintained in their
existing condition mainly by the effect of
the force of gravity. Whenever one of
these planes of matter is acted upon,
gravity reacts, and this reaction is always
propagated along with the original action.
The reaction of the force of gravity is the
subtle aspect we have referred to above.
222 CREATION PART III
A further examination will show that the
gravity of our earth is derived from the
sun, being the result of the attractive
action of the sun on the earth. The attrac
tion we have been speaking of is somewhat
similar to that of a magnet, and it takes
place through the intervening ethereal
medium. Thus Ave find that the force
which is agitating the ethereal plane in
the shape of terrestrial gravitation is
.always taking part as the subtle factor in
the perception of sound. We may well
deduce the following general proposition
from the explanations given above : —
When force-actions agitate the physical
planes peculiar to the various senses, then
they affect the senses concerned, other
wise they remain unperceived.
If, however, by the method of the spiri
tual practice prescribed in the lladha-
soami Faith, the spirit-force is developed
-at planes higher than those at which it is
kinetic in ordinary circumstances, the
-tanmatra of the various senses will no
ART. 100 ITS ECONOMY
longer be dependent upon the physical
frame for communication of impressions,
and subtle actions of various degrees,
which are ever present would all come
within their cognisance. This is the
manner in which persons in cases of
.abnormal conditions affecting the higher
planes become for the time being endowed
with subtle functions. We have now
enough, we presume, to show that the
of sound is not of that gross des
cription as we take it ordinarily to he.
100 — GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT
OF THE SENSES
In considering the constitutions and func
tions of the various senses, we have been,
dealing with the subject from the point of
view of our physical plane, in order to
•enable us to give illustrations which are
within the scope of ordinary experience.
The same remarks, however, apply, with
necessary changes, to the subtler senses of
the denizens of Brahmand. In the sphere
224 CREATION PART III
of Trikuti, the senses are so subtle and
hidden that they are hardly distinguish
able in the radiant frame of the denizens
of that place. In iSahasdal Kama! the
senses are more manifest, and in the other
lower spheres of Brahmand, their distinc
tive features are more pronounced still.
101 — THE FIELD BELOW BRAHMAND
AND THE ORBITAL MOTIONS OF
/
BRAHMAND AND PIND
Below the spheres of Vishnu, Brahma,,
and Shiva there is a vast field somewhat
similar to Mahasunna. Although Ji is
very much smaller than the latter. JJiere
is some minor creation in this field, and
it serves as a boundary between the second
and the third grand divisions of creation.
At the lowest part of this boundary, the
topmost sphere of the third division is
situated with an upward opening into the
legions of Brahmand. This opening is
known as the third til (the third or the
subtle eye), and by means of it one can
ART. 101 ITS ECONOMY 225
catch glimpses of the lower portion
of Brahmand. This opening is also the
portal through which the spirit-entity
passes from the third into the second
grand division. The sphere, referred to
ahove, bears a resemblance to the top
sphere of Brahmand, viz., Sunna. This
is the moon- sphere of the third division
of creation, and all spirituality is supplied
to the lower spheres from this source.
This sphere is above the sun, and is moving
along with the latter around the lowest
part of Brahmand. Brahmand, too, as
a whole, is also subject to a similar
orbital motion round the purely spiritual
region. This latter region or any portion
of it, is not, however, subject to the
motion of the kind referred to. As we shall
explain later on, the two grand divisions
of creation which are subject to orbital
motion are alone subject to periodical
dissolution also. In the purely spiritual
region, there is no change or dissolution
and that region is accordingly immortal.
0
226 CREATION PART III
The description we have given refers to
that individual system of Brahmand and
of the third division of creation in which
our solar system is located. In the Brah
mand as a whole, however, there are in
numerable systems of the same type. The
innumerable Universal Minds or Brahms,
Avith their consorts, the Adyas, as well as
the innumerable spirit-centres of Brah
mand, were cast out like drops from a sea
out of the spiritual current and the cur
rents of Kal and Maya that descended doAvn
from the purely spiritual region into the
vast expanse known as Mahasunna. Simi
larly, the innumerable solar systems we find
in the plane of the third grand division of
creation have been projected down by each
of the individual systems of Brahmand.
102 — THE COMBINATION OF QUALITIES
WITH PRAKRITIS FORMING
EIGHTY-FOUR CURRENTS
The three qualities in their downward
course became associated with the
\i;T. 103 ITS KCONO.MY ±17
twenty-five iH'tikriliN mentioned in Article
IK.. and also entered into combination with
cadi other. Thus eighty-four compound
currents, vi/., seventy-five of matter and
nine of the qualities referred to, passed
into the third division of creation. These
oiu'ht v-l'our suhtle currents are known as
the rli<tiu'<txi lukxh (tlie suhtle eighty-four) .
The material constituents and the func
tions of all animate and inanimate crea
tion in the third grand division have heen
evolved out of these eighty-four currents.
The seventy-live material currents are in
the nature of elements known to us, each
endowed with separate properties in
accordance with the nature of the various
forces they were suhjected to, and with
reference to the tattwas from which their
material element was derived.
103 — THE FOUR CLASSES OF
EXISTENCE IN FIND
We have mentioned in Article 97 that
the main function of the akash tatfica is
228 CREATION PART III
to serve as a vehicle of force-action, and
that its other functions are hardly appre
ciable. The other four tattivas furnish
constituents for the bodies or frames
of spirit, whether the bodies in question
be subtle or coarse like ours. Animate
and inanimate existence of that part of
the creation which is below the five spheres
of the tatticas in Brahmand is divided
into four great classes. These classes are
known as jar&ytya, an day a, swedaja, and
ndbhija. The first three classes are exclu
sively composed of animate existence.
The fourth class, however, includes
minerals and other objects which come out
of the earth. Ayni tattwa is the predo
minant constituent of the bodies of the
members of the first class, while the vayu,
the jal, and the pritthici are similarly
the prevailing constituents in the case of
the remaining three classes. The literal
meaning of the four technical words
quoted above is : — (1) that which conies
out of film, (2) that which comes out of
ART. 103 ITS ECONOMY 229
•egg, (3) that which comes out of water
and perspiration, and (4) that which
comes out of the earth. The stellar or
the solar creation in the macrocosm of
the third grand division is specially en
dowed with that function which is known
as the creational function of the body,
apart from the subjective functions asso
ciated with it in higher animate creation.
So far as their material constituents are
concerned, they are like the material con
stituents of nerve-centres. Like the nerve
they supply vitality to the entire system
and are the props or supports of those
systems. The presiding deities of these
orbs are not to be found in the material
constituents thereof. They are located in
higher subtle planes accompanying the
orbs which, are suitable for location of the
deities referred to. Their regulation of the
orbs subordinate to them is similar to the
regulation exercised upon nerve-centres by
tin1 peculiar imperceptible spiritual plane
.associated with each. In the lowest part
230 CREATION PART III
of the third grand division of creation,
these orbs become devoid of spirituality to
such an extent that their action becomes
almost akin to the creational action of
the vegetable existence.
104 — THE SIX SUBDIVISIONS OF FIND AND
THEIR PRESIDING DEITIES
Besides the eighty-four currents,,
referred to, current- emanations of Jyoti
and Niranjan also descended into the third
grand division of creation, viz., Pind.
Their subtlest forms are associated with
the presiding deity of the top sphere of"
this division, while the remaining two
forms of each, which are comparatively
speaking less subtle, are the presiding
deities themselves at the next two lower
spheres. Similarly, emanations from
Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva have converged
at the three lowest spheres of Pind respec
tively. The emanations from Jyoti and
Narayan manifest themselves in the
microcosm of a human entity as individual
ART. 101 ITS ECONOU V 231
desire and mind respectively. The
manifest forms of these two emanations
in the human entity, where they exist as
rays from the main currents, are to he
found at the nervous centre which is
located at the heart. There, the desire
and the functions of the mind are at play.
Their suhtler forms are to be found in
the nervous centres at the throat and at
the seat of the spirit (vide Article 18).
Their functions are, however, not mani
fest and are perceived on development of
the latent potentialities of the spirit. The
three lower centres in the human entity
are similarly imbued with the powers of
Vishnu, Brahma, and Mahadeva respec
tively, and perform the functions of
preservation, assimilation, and procrea
tion, arid elimination of effete bodily
matter respectively. The orbs of Pind-
region, which correspond to these six
nervous centres, are respectively the
Spirit or Moon-orb, the Sun, the Earth,
Jupiter. Saturn, and Neptune. The other
232 CREATION PART III
so-called planets are really minor orbs,
and they render assistance to the main
orbs to which they are nearest. These
minor planets perform functions similar
to those performed by certain sub-ganglia
adjoining the main ganglia. Like the
three lower ganglia in the human frame,
which form a group, as it were, distinct
from that of the three upper ganglia,
the three lower orbs of Pind are to a
considerable extent independent of the
group of the three higher orbs. In
accordance with the characteristics of
its presiding deity, viz., the emanation
of Vishnu, Jupiter is more or less inde
pendent of the Sun, the connecting link
being the current of spirituality which
descends to the lowest sphere from the
moon-orb. As the plane. ,of this orb and
the individual spirit -or moon-orb are on
the same level, this is the chandra of
astrology, by means of which the rashi or
the characteristic of each human indivi
duality is determined. This spiritual
ART. 101 ITS ECONOMY 233
Cfl
current is the source from which origin
ally spirituality is supplied to all animate
creation in the third grand division.
This is also the orh from which another
current known as j<n-r rltclan (vitality
of inanimate ohjects) is supplied to the
material constituents of Pind. The elec
tricity which we find on our earth is a
manifest a tion of the non-spiritual life-
currenf \ve have been speaking of. In
the scriptures of Saints it is mentioned
as bijJ'i (lightning). The subtle spheres
of the five subtle currents of tattwas
are below the moon-orb of Pind, and
they are resplendent there in the hue
peculiar to each. We quote below a
couplet which contains the ideas we
have stated above :—
fa^T 3ffT ^ITT ft II
The English version of the couplet
would be as follows: —
CREATION PART III
(I) saw the five elementary colours of
the tattwas, beheld the flashes of the
lightning of the moon, and then forced
open the third eye, viz., the portal of
Brahmand (vide Article 101).
105 — THE DENIZENS OF PIND
The corporeal frames of the denizens-
of the third grand division are constituted
of materials belonging to the spheres
in which they reside. For instance, the
bodies of the animate creation of our
earth are made out of materials supplied
by the earth, whether in a coarse or in
a subtle form. The orbs of the sun and
the moon, which are higher than that
of the earth, are made up of matter of
a very much finer and subtler quality.
They are accordingly highly resplendent
and charged, in a far greater degree than
the earth, with spirituality and energy.
The denizens of these orbs are in conse
quence furnished with frames which are
much more subtle and resplendent than
ART. lO.") ITS ECONOMY
our own. and their existence, too, is by
lai- more blissful. The five fti/liras and
the eighty-four currents, referred to in
Article 102, during their descent from
Biahmand into the third grand division
of creation, became coarser at each step.
They are very subtle in the moon and in
the sun, while in the case of the other
spheres their coarseness increases in pro
portion to the distance of the sphere from
the top orb. From our experience of the
earth, it may not be unnaturally inferred
that the ^useous, the liquid, and the solid
parts of the orbs are alone tenanted. Such
is, however, not the case. The subtler
strata of each are also inhabited, the
denizens thereof possessing the requisite
subtle bodies. AVe are endowed with three
distinct forms, vi/., the sthool, sukslmin.
and /v//v// x/tftrirs, (the gross, the subtle,
and the instrumental bodies), which are
reflex images, as it were, <>!' the three
forms of Braimi. The statement made
above that an entity can have an
236 CREATION PART III
independent subtle body is not, therefore,
entirely in the nature of a dictum, as it
already possesses such a body in its gross
state of life. In our gross form, the subtle
-conditions are more or less latent, but they
do manifest themselves when we go into
the state of dream, trance, etc. Similarly,
in the converse case of disembodied spirits,
whose existence is believed to be beyond
question now, the subtle body is the kinetic
one and the grosser form is manifested at
times. Spirit-entities, in some respects
similar to disembodied spirits, inhabit the
subtler strata of all the orbs of the third
grand division.
It is hardly necessary to remark that
the denizens of the spheres lower than the
-earth are, in every respect, inferior to
those that are found here. The apparitions
of disembodied spirits on this earth are
.always due to worldly desires and worldly
ties, and in accordance with the nature of
these desires and ties, the actions of the
apparitions are marked by benevolence or
ART. 106 ITS ECONOM Y 237
malevolence as the case may be. As the
three lower ganglia are mainly engaged
in the performance of actions which are
common both to men and brutes, their
functions are characterised by the lower
impulses and passions, and higher desires
and sentiments are, as a rule, wanting in
them. The denizens of the three lower
spheres, corresponding to the ganglia
referred to, are, therefore, endowed mainly
with brutish tendencies. The subtle
denizens of those spheres are evil-minded
and generally wanton in their actions.
Their pleasures and joys are of a very
low character, and do not approach, to
any degree, the joys and pleasures of
humanity. These denizens are, more or
less, akin in nature to the infernal spirits
whom we shall describe presently.
106 — THE REGION OF HELL AND ITS
DENIZENS
Below the lowest sphere of the third
grand division of creation, the pole
238 CREATION PART III
proper of the nether precreational region
exists. There is no regular creation in
it and it is a vast expanse of spiritual
depletion, as it were. Whatever crea
tion is there is of a minor character,
bearing some distant resemblance to the
snb-creations of Mahasimna and of the
bottom portion of Brahmand. This minor
creation is known as the region of hell
and is full of torments and woe. The
denizens of hell are possessed of the
vilest propensities and are ever torment
ing those who have the misfortune of
being cast into this place of correction
and punishment.
We have now completed a description,
which is very meagre indeed, of the
order of creation from its precreational
condition to the lowest form of creation
that exists in hell. The economy that
regulates the entire creation has been
o
explained in some detail, in connection
with the description of the creation of
<3ach grand division. The general
AKT. 107 ITS ECOXOMV 239
•economy, which regulates interdependence
of each of the three grand divisions and
•of the general condition in each of these
divisions, requires to be noticed now.
107 — GENERAL ECONOMY OF THE THREE
<;RAND DIVISIONS
So far as the regions of the first
U'rand division are concerned, very little
is required to be stated here. They
are within the purview of the infinite
Supreme Being and constitute His own
region, as it Avere. At the time of
•creation, the spiritual regions were so
spiritualised by the currents of spirit
and sound that they do not stand in
need of any further spiritualisation.
The residual precreational admixture
left during the first creational stage
was eliminated at the commencement
of the next creational step downwards,
and the purely spiritual regions, as
already stated before, are now perfect
in every respect, needing no change
240 CREATION PART III
or addition in consequence of lapse
of time. Compared to the other two-
grand divisions, the expanse of the
purely spiritual regions is immense. The
case of those two divisions is different.
Their spirituality is not so complete as
to enable them to work independently,
that is, without assistance. Accordingly,
each part of Brahmand with its innumer
able Brahms and Adyas has to be present
ed in turn before the purely spiritual
regions to receive the necessary help.
This is the cause of the revolution of
Brahmand round the Satyalok, the proper
distance between Brahmand and the
purely spiritual regions being maintained
during the course of the revolution by
the contrary influence of the regions
below it. The nature of the relation of
Brahmand to the spiritual region, as
described above, also obtains between the
third grand division and Brahmand. The
third division is revolving round Brahmand
and deriving help therefrom as in the
ART. 107 ITS ECONOMY 241
previous case. The tendency of Brahmand
and the third grand division is, however,
all towards the extreme nether pole, as-
Brahmand is situated in that portion of
the precreational neutral zone (vide
Article 91) which adjoined the original
nether pole. The continued action of the
tendency, referred to, is constantly result
ing in a down-flow of spirituality, which
is eagerly imbibed by the nether regions-
dry as dust. Those regions are, however,
from their precreational constitution,
unfit to retain for any considerable length
of time spirituality of a higher degree
than that originally allotted to them.
The spirituality which has been collecting,
so to say, from the continuous down-
flow, evaporates, as it were, and an up
ward current is established. This upward
current serves an extremely ameliorating
purpose, specially in the third division of
creation ; for along with it, the denizens
of the infernal regions and of the lower
spheres of the third grand division ascend
p
CREATION £ART in
to higher planes, but this current cannot
go beyond the topmost spheres of the third
division, and the highest point which an
entity may reach by this natural process of
elevation is the moon-sphere. There the
circle is completed by the two currents,,
and the downward course commences
as;am. This circle is known as the chakra
/
of chaurasi, and no one can get beyond it
unless he is specially trained for access
into higher regions. We have been
speaking here of the regions of Brahmand
and Pind as a whole. We would now
give further details of the condition of
o
individual solar and Brahm systems of
the third and second grand divisions
respectively.
108 MAHAPRALAYA AND PRALAYA
When an individual Brahm system has
completed its vast cycle of ret*olution
round the spiritual region, during which
period it has been considerably ex
hausted by the assistance imparted to
AKT. 108 ITS ECONOMY 213
that part of the third grand division
which is subordinate to it, it comes near
est to Satyalok, that is to say, it is in
conjunction with the spiritual region ;
and the influence exercised upon it by
that region is so great that the entire
system of the Brahmaud and of its sub
ordinate regions, is drawn up and
reduced, more or less, to its precreational
condition. This change is known as the
in<ili(ii)i'<tl<in<i (the great dissolution). The
condition, produced by this dissolution,
is maintained for such a period as is
sufficient to impart to it the necessary
spirituality for a reconstruction, and then
the Brahmand and the subordinate
regions are again evolved in the manner
of their original evolution. The dissolu
tion of individual solar systems takes
place on exactly similar lines, but the
Hrahmand is not affected by their disso
lution. The subsequent reconstruction
of the solar systems is also similar to
the reconstruction of Brahmands. The
244 CREATION PART III
dissolution of. solar systems is known as*
pralaya (dissolution).
] 09— THE CONSTITUTION OP THE DENIZENS
OTHER THAN MAN
It is a common characteristic of the
denizens (excepting men) of the entire
creation, from top to bottom, that three
spheres alone are kinetic in them with
reference to the region they belong to.
The other three planes of the grand divi
sion in which they reside are most dis
tantly represented in the corporeal frames,
but they are not susceptible of develop
ment and consequently they are not fit in
any circumstances for the establishment
of communication with the corresponding
planes of the macrocosm. The planes of
the other grand divisions, which may be
higher or lower than the region of their
own grand division, hardly find any
representation at all in the economy of
their corporeal constitution. For instance,
the denizens of the three highest spiritual
ART. 109 ITS ECONOMY 245
spheres, viz., of Radhasoami dhdm, of
Agam, and of Alakh, will have three
-covers in all, which will correspond with
the spheres of the three planes referred to.
The most prominent and active of these
three covers is the one which corresponds
with the sphere in which the denizen is
located. The other two are subsidiary to
it, hut they are not useless. The planes
of the spheres of Anami, Satyalok, and
Vramargupha are all represented in one
spot at the lowest portion of the outer
most cover. They are mere dots represent
ing the lower spheres, referred to, hut are
never of any use whatever, as a denizen
of the higher spheres of the spiritual
regions is, from its creational constitution,
so rapt with the bliss of his own sphere
that he is precluded by its effect from a
descent into the lower spheres. He can
not also ascend to higher spheres, as the
creational location allotted to him, with
reference to the degree of his spirituality,
is immutable. The above economy also
246
CREATION PART III
holds good in the case of the denizens of
Brahmand. lii the third grand division,
however, the ascending current helps
upward progress of the denizens under its
influence at each hirth till they reach the
topmost sphere, viz., the sphere of the
moon. The descending current in Brali-
mand does not turn back till the time of
mahapralaya arrives. Accordingly, a
large number of the denizens of Brah-
mand descends into the regions of the
third grand division.
110 — INCARNATIONS OF BRAHM AND THE
SUPREME BEING
/
To reclaim the denizens of Brahmand,
referred to above, and ameliorate the con
dition of the third grand division, Brahm
has often to manifest himself as an incar
nation in this world. His sons and pro
phets, (i. e., the denizens specially quick
ened by Brahm with his own spirituality)
are also often sent with the same object.
Similarly, the true Supreme Creator,
ART. 110 ITS ECONOMY 217
tin* Infinite Source of Spirit/
unapproachable and august Supreme
Deity of the highest and the endless
region of spirit, also incarnates and makes
His gracious advent into this world, when
the Triloki is within the limits of con-
j unction with the spiritual region. The
spirituality that descends at such happy
periods is immense, and the entire cre
ation below the region of the first grand
division is highly blessed. This is the
time when an opportunity is afforded to
all human beings for that spiritual train
ing which would enable them to enter
the regions and the mansion of the true
Supreme Creator. His advent infuses
spirituality of the highest order into
Brahmand and Pind, and establishes an
upward current which is the path by
which the devotee reaches the first grand
division and thus attains everlasting bliss
and immortality. Along with the advent
of the incarnation of the gracious Radha-
soami, the denizens of higher regions
ft
. f
248 CREATION PART III
(specially of Brahmand) often avail them
selves of the golden opportunity so pre
sented and come down with Him into this
world. They are the persons most fitted
for the sowing of the spiritual germs of
Satyalok and the higher regions, which is
indispensable for the impartation of that
spirituality which alone can enable them
to ride upon the spiritual current estab
lished with the first grand division. The
devotional practice appears to them to be
very congenial and it is always attended
with success. The elevation to Satyalok
is, however, not confined to human beings.
The seed of the highest spirituality is
sown in the most spiritual denizens of
the various spheres of the third grand
division also, whether they belong to the
human or other animate creation.
Gradually, these spiritual entities are
endowed with the necessary spiritual
strength and energy for the performance
of the spiritual practice prescribed by
Radhasoami Dayal, and eventually they,
ART. Ill ITS ECONOMY 249
too, obtain true emancipation and immor
tality. Saints, as stated in Article 52, are
the special sons of the gracious Radha-
soami' as their spiritual essence has heen
derived from Him. At the blessed period
of conjunction, referred to, they also fre
quently make their advent into this world
and perform almost the same gracious
work of amelioration and redemption as
is performed by the august incarnation of
the Supreme Being Himself. When the
period of conjunction approaches its
termination, the great dissolution takes
place as stated in Article 108. By that
time the work of redemption and spiri-
tualisation is also completed.
Ill — THE CONSTITUTION OF MAN — A
PERFECT MICROCOSM FIT FOR
SPIRITUAL PROGRESS
The six ganglia, from the lowest at the
rectum to that situated in the middle
of the line joining the two pupils, are
all kinetic in a human entity. The
CREATION 1>ART III
six planes of the third grand division
are all, therefore, represented in a kinetic
form in humanity. In accordance with
the general law, which applies to all
entities, the three upper ganglia of a
human entity must necessarily he at
work, as the location of man is on the
lowest of the three upper spheres
referred to, viz., on the earth. The
momentum^ which the downward current
from Brahmand^and that from the moon
and sun orbs have acquired at the earth^
is very considerable. Its influence has,
therefore, caused a development of the
three lower ganglia (which correspond
to the three lowest spheres of the third
grand division) in a manner contrary
to the general law that holds good in
the case of Brahmand and the purely
spiritual regions. At the earth-level,
therefore, both brute and human entities
are endowed with the three lower ganglia
in a highly developed form. In man,
who is spiritually by far superior to all
ART. Ill ITS ECONOMY 251
other animate entities on this earth, tlie
tli roc higher ganglia have not been
denuded to such an extent of spirituality
and energy by their supply to the three
lowest nervous centres as to render the
former centres inoperative to any appre
ciable degree. The case of other entities
is, however, different. Their spirituality
being small, the downward drain has
considerably affected the higher centres,
and the subjective functions, specially
the power of abstraction, have become
considerably impaired. In many a case,
their heart -centre is the seat of their
spirit, and they can go on living even
when their brain is removed. The down
ward rush of the current, we have been
speaking of, is very powerful. Nobody
can stem it in the opposite direction
unless the passions, which are all influ
enced by the current in question, are more
or less subdued and a constant watch
kept over our actions to prevent an
unnecessary and improper indulgence in
252 CREATION PART III
them. From what we have stated above,
it is clear that man is the entity in
whom the six divisions of Brahmand are
reflected in a kinetic form. The appara
tus for this reflex action is to be found in
the brain (vide Articles 23 and 24), and by
means of the apertures provided therein,
which contain Brahmandic potentialities
in consequence of the reflex action taking
place through them, the spirit of man
can, under proper training, get access
into Brahmand. As Brahmand itself is
a reflex image of the purely spiritual
region, the currents which establish the
reflex conditions of Brahmand in the
human microcosm, are associated with
the reflex functions of the purely spiri
tual region. These functions are also,
therefore, represented in the human
brain, and apertures are provided therein
for communication with and access into
the purely spiritual region. Man, from
his position in the universe and from
the amount of spirituality he possesses,
ART. Ill ITS ECONOMY 253
is thus endowed with a cosmos of his
own, which is so constructed as to repre
sent all the spheres of the entire creation
from the highest spiritual source down to
the creationless nether pole, and which
possesses such apertures and potentialities,
as would enable the human entity to reach
the highest mansion. In man, therefore,
the true microcosm exists, and it is in
consequence of this unique possession that
he is considered to be superior to angels
and to the denizens of Brahmand. Thi&
is also the main reason for the incarna
tion of the true Supreme Being Radha-
soami, of His beloved sons^ the Saints,
of Brahmj and of his prophets, £c, having
taken place in human form. The
denizens of Brahmand, too, when they
become desirous of ascent into the spiri
tual regions, have 9 therefore^ to assume
human form -which is possible on the
earth-plane alone, as in this perfect
microcosm the spiritual training, pres
cribed by Saints, can alone be performed*
-3 I CREATION
PART III
The spirits of Saints often visit the
various spheres of Brahmand with the
object of revealing to the denizens thereof
the existence and the bliss of the purely
spiritual regions. As the denizens of
Erahmand are highly spiritual and pure,
they find no difficulty in comprehending
the revelations made to them, and they
soon become imbued with a strono-
o
desire for reaching the purely spiritual
regions. When this desire has become
sufficiently developed, then their advent
into human form takes place. The bliss
of Brahmand is so great and enrapturing
that it is the higher spiritual revelation
alone which generates a desire of the
kind we have spoken of.
112— THE RECRUITMENT OF HUMAN AND
OTHER SPECIES ON THIS EARTH
The lives of the denizens of Brahmand
are of very long duration, and, in the
majority of cases, the individual existence
does not undergo a dissolution until the
ART. 112 ITS ECONOMY 255
second grand division is dissolved at the
time of maKapralaya. "We have already
stated that a downward current flows
from Brahmand into the third grand
division. Along with this downward
current, a number of denizens of the
three lower spheres of Brahmand, and a
few from the higher spheres, make their
advent into the third division. As a rule,
they always assume human form on the
earth, on their arrival in our world, inas
much as this form can enable them, if
properly trained, to go back to Brahmand
and higher regions, and also because the
downward current takes its first focus, as
it were, at the earth before starting again
in its further downward, course. The
number of denizens of the above descrip
tion is, however, not considerable, and in
the vast majority of cases the denizens of
the various spheres of the third division
have been recruited or born otherwise.
It will be observed from Article 105
that all the spheres of the third division
256 CREATION PART III
are enveloped by subtle spheres of agni
tattiva and akash appertaining to each,
and that these subtle spheres, too, are
tenanted, the denizens thereof possessing
desires and tendencies allied to those of
the denizens of the three lower strata of
the same sphere. The thoughts, language.
id the • daily life, too, of the/j
txtt^-4 LtriA^ &k-
lemzens bear a similitude to those m-
^ A
habiting the coarser strata. These subtle
denizens at the termination of the term
of their subtle lives are often born in
coarser forms in the sphere to which they
previously belonged. The subtle regions,
besides being inhabited by subtle entities
similar to human beings, are also inhab
ited by entities endowed with animal pas
sions and animal forms. The various
species of human and animal existence of
our earth are recruited from the above two
sources. The case of the three spheres
lower than the earth and that of the two
spheres above it, is generally similar to
that mentioned above. The above sources-
ART. 113 ITS ECONOMY 257
and the lower currents of chaurasi (vide
Article 102) also contribute their quota
in each case including our earth.
It will he further observed from Article
107 that the solar systems are travelling in
space round Brahmand and that the Brah-
mand, too, is making a similar revolution
round the spiritual region. During the
course of these revolutions, the earth and
the other spheres often come near such cre-
ations which possess fauna (including man) "
and flora differing to some extent from our
own fauna and flora. The conjunction of
the above description often leads to some
affinity between the subtler portions of our
system and of those of the creations we
have approached. Many new forms of life
are, then* manifested on our earth, and
their remains are often dug up as fossils of
the species not to be found on this earth.
113 — PRENATAL STATE OF SPIRIT-ENTITIES
As already stated, the denizens of the
purely spiritual regions are not subject to
Q
258 CREATION PART III
death, as that region is free from dissolu
tion. In the second grand division also,
death, in. the sense we know of, does not
occur. In the majority of cases, the deni
zens of Brahmand live as long as the time
of the great dissolution does not arrive.
With the dissolution of Brahmand, the
.denizens are transformed into the precrea-
tional condition^and at the re-evolution of
the second grand division, they are reborn.
The change, which takes place on the des
cent of some of the denizens of Brahmand
into the third grand division, does not
hear a similarity to the change produced
ordinarily by death. The descent is accom
panied by conditions which are similar
to those preceding the birth of a human
entity. It may be observed here that the
prenatal conditions, referred to, do not refer
to the uterine existence preceding birth,
but to the subjective spiritual condition of
the entity which i^ to take birth.
It is a well recognised fact that there is
no respiration while the foetus is developing
ART. 113 ITS ECONOMY 259
in the womb^and that at the time of
birth the function of respiration is set at
work. The development of the physi
cal frame of the foetus proceeds at the
expense of the blood supplied by the
mother. The sole worker in the forma
tion of the physical frame of a foetus
is thus the mother, and the .spirit- entity
which is eventually to take seat in that
^
frame^ is^in a very distant manner-
connected with the frame during its
uterine formation. This condition of the
uterine existence, which is void of respi
ration, may be likened to the condition of
catalepsy in which, by means of a very
subtle spiritual link, the spirit remains
associated with the body; otherwise, the
spirit is, in a large measure, as free as that
of a really dead person. The prenatal
condition of the spirit, which we have
described above, is known as cliaitanya
sam^dh (conscious absorption). In the
case of man, this samadh takes place in
the region of Jyoti Narayan, as the spirit
260 CREATION PART III
of man being in the sixth nervous centre,
a dissociation from the bod^opTthe nature
of deathjis only possible when the spirit-
entity enters Brahmand. The three lower
spheres of Brahmand, being highly charged
with the tendency of descent, are not fit
for the samadh, referred to, and the sphere
of Jyoti, which is comparatively much
more stable, is thus a suitable place for
the prenatal sojourn of the kind we
have been speaking of. After death, too, a
human entity is drawn up to the presence
of Jyoti, but of this we shall speak more
fully later on (vide Article 114).
As the third grand division is subject
to more frequent dissolution/jthan the
second grand division, it would follow
that, for the purpose of proper recoup-
ment of mergy of a higher order, more
^
frequent changes are needed in that
portion of creation which is less spiritual
than the . other higher regions. For a
similar object, the denizens of the lower
regions, viz., the third grand division, have
ART. Ill ITS ECONOMY 261
frequently to undergo the change known
as death. This division is also, therefore,
known as the mrityulolt (death-sphere).
114 — DJSATH OF MAN — ITS ORDER
AND PROCESS
As the destruction of all the material
covers, whether they be coarse or subtle,
which an entity has assumed in the third
grand division, is a necessary condition
for the occurrence of death, it is clear
that, in the case of an entity whose spirit-
plane corresponds to that of the top
sphere of the third division, it must be
drawn up into Brahmand in order to
eliminate the various material covers it
has become associated with in this world.
This withdrawal, or the order of death, so
to say, is issued from Sahasdal Kamal, the
presiding deity of which is Narayan or
Xiranjan. He is accordingly the Kal
1'urush (God of death) also, besides being
the lowest form of the Lord God of
Brahmand. The three lowest spheres of
202 CREATION PART III
Hrahmand, vi/., those of Vishnu, ISm.hma.
and Mahadeva, like their reflex imaires in
the navel, the reproductive origin, and the
rectum, are mainly en paired in the proper
maintenance of the material portion, so
to say, of lower Brahmand. 'It would,
therefore, appear that they are concerned,
directly or indirectly, only with the pre
servation, regeneration, and the elimina
tion of effete matter which hinder* the
first two processes. They are, thus, pre
cluded hy their constitutional power*
from ordering and effecting the complete
dissolution of the microcosm. Those
orders are issued hy Jyoti and Narayan.
as they are the Universal ^Mind and the
Desire, and they alone can regulate des
tinies. Similarly, in the microcosm it is
the individual mind and de*ire which
order an act.
We have stated in Article 1)2 that Un
original current of Kal which emanated
from the spiritual regions was full of
very hi^li energy hut void of the power
AIM1. 1 1 I' ITS ECONOMY
of formation, \\hile the olhcr current was
endourd with Mir faculty ()!' creational
nucleus, beini;1 an oll'shoot, of Mir spirit-
OUrrenl of MM- first -rand di\ ision. The
lii-si ourreh^aooordingl^directfl an imme
diate subversion of such condil ions as
I'onn inalcrial COVCIN of (lie spirit -m! it Y,
\\liilc tlic other current confers spiri-
tu;ility for the nia-nilrstalion and de\elo|)-
inent of the hiddrii i;'erins. At the time
ol' death, accordiu-1 v, a (lest ruct i ve cur
rent descends IVoin Sahasdal Kanial and
destroys the covers of the, human cut ity.
\\'hen this has been ell'ected, the other
current attracts the entity upuards to its
presence, At the third //7, a deity knoun
as Dharain Kai, the an-el of jud-nient,
is stationed, and he carries out, the
mandate of the Kal I'urush in the manner
indicated abo\ e. More precisely speaking,
he is the locus throui;h \\hoin the current
of Kal ijert'orms its work of destruction.
The dissolution of the physical body,
NNC ha\e referred to, removes the material
264 CREATION PART III
covers of the spirit- entity ; but the
mind with its desires is not affected
by it at the time of death, as it is an
emanation from the Kal Purush of Brah
mand. Accordingly, all subtle desires,
subtle senses, and the mind accompany
the spirit in its withdrawal to the Brah
mand. If they are full of worldly
thoughts and ambitions, and the worldly
j ties and affections have not been eradi
cated from the innermost quarter, they
constitute, as it were, a great burden
over the spirit, and during its passage
through an immensely subtle aperture
that exists at the portal of Brahmand,
the spirit is subjected to awful extortions
for the purpose of rendering it subtle
enough to obtain an ingress into Brah
mand. ^ This , is^ the first punishment
accorded aP/Qie^mneoide^th. It does
^\ /
lighten the spirit considerably of its evil
doings, but does not effect. siich a puri
fication j as is necessary forjp.ocation in
Brahmand. The most subtle germs of the
ART. Hi ITS ECONOMY 265
worldly affections, &c., pass eventually
with the spirit into Brahmand. As
soon as the spirit reaches Brahmand, it
gets a vision of Jyoti, but it is not allowed
to remain there for any length of time, if
it has carried with it the germs of the
affections of the third gjand division.
The spirituality of Jyoti immediately
infuses life into those mundane germ^and
they forthwith manifest themselves. In 05
consequence of the / creational • unsuit-^
ability of the germs for BramiTand, their
appearance is immediately followed by a
powerful hurl downwards. This down
ward push casts the spirit with its
material tendencies and desires and the
mind into the expanse which is at the
bottom of Brahmand, where shorn of its
kinetic functions, it lies unconscious for
some time, and then is assigned an alloca
tion in accordance with the orders .mssed
by Dharam Ilai at the time of^death.
The laws which regulate the allocation,
referred to, will be described and explained
266 CREATION PART III
in the chapter devoted to individual acts,.
i.e., karma and its effects.
115 — THE DEATH-PROCESS OF LOWER
ENTITIES
It will be observed that the process of
m death, we have described above- refers only
A 1~ &L. ' * *
I to the human entity. In the case of other
entities, there is some difference, with
reference to the seat of the spirit of each.
The brute creation of this earth is in
some forms so low, and the creation of the
three spheres below the earth is also so
low, that a withdrawal into Brahmand is
not necessary for the production of death.
The deity, who presides at the fourth
sphere of the third division.and is known
as Shiva or Pashupati (Lord of brutes), is
a reflex entity from Xarayan, and his
functions and those of the reflex Jyoti,
which accompany him, are similar, in
respect of the death of brutes under his
sway, to those exercised by Jyoti
Naravan.
ART. 117 ITS ECONOMY 2G7
llG — THE DEATH-PROCESS OF ENTITIES
ENTITLED TO ASSUME HUMAN FORM
The death of the entities who are
ascending by the higher current is, how
ever, different^ when they approach the
stage after which they will he entitled to
assume the human form. In such cases
their spirit is drawn up to Brahmand after
death, and is accorded a clwitdiu/a
samadh of the kind which precedes the
birth of a human entity. The spirits of
the sun and moon orbs of the third divi
sion are at the time of their death drawn
up into Brahmand, and after undergoing
the necessary samadh they are born as
men. ->*,i^«
117 — CONFLICT BETWEEN SPIRIT-FORCE
AND THE FORCES OF NATURE
The vital force has to contend against
great opposition during its life in the
third grand division of creation, as the
tendency of all the forces of nature i^
268 CREATION PART III
contrary in its character to that of
the spirit-force. The natural forces,
referred to, all tend towards the
nether pole, while the inherent charac
teristic of the spirit-force, which is to
he found in the innermost quarter
of the spirit, is in the direction of the
purely spiritual regions. For a time,
the spirit-force is ahle to overcome, so
to say, the action of the natural forces,
but eventually they prevail, and the
physical frame, which the spirit-energy
has constituted, becomes damaged to
such an extent that a further continuance frf ^
in it is not possible. The work of
dissolution is then completed by the
death-current mentioned in Article 114.
118 — METEMPSYCHOSIS — ITS CHARACTER
AND SCOPE
The worldly desires and tendencies of
an entity are not eradicated by the
change referred to above, and the entity
is again attracted towards the material
ART. 118 ITS ECONOH V
plane which has affinities with the desires
in question, and is reborn there in such
a species as possesses a differentia similar
to that of the predominant desire of the
entity. The change, we have described^
which results in the translation of an
entity from one plane to another, is
known as divdyawcui (coming and going :
metempsychosis). As the forces of the
third grand division and of the Brah-
mand, too, are predominant in their action
towards the nether pole, the inherent effort
of the spirit-entity to liberate itself is
ineffectual. It may go up to some length
in the higher direction according to the
natural process described in Article 107,
but its true emancipation is not possible,
unless it is aided by an adept of the
purely spiritual region, and unless it
undergoes a regular course of spiritual
training which leads to that region. We
shall describe more fully in the chapter
on karma the laws which regulate the,
various circumstances and the forms of
270 CREATION PART III
spirit-entity since its birth at the time
of creation.
As the purely spiritual region and
its denizens are not subject to any change
or dissolution, the transmigration of soul
does not form part of the economy that
obtains in that region. Saints, as already
previously stated, descend into Brahmand
and the lower regions from the first
division of creation with the merciful
object of liberating spirits from the
thraldom of mind and matter and of
•otherwise elevating the spiritual status
of the lower creations. Such advents
are, however, not in the nature of
ordinary metempsychosis, as the kinetic
communication of the spirit of Saints with
their august Supreme Father, Radhasoami,
is in no way affected by their incarnation
as the true spiritual guide on this earth.
In the case of other entities, the know
ledge of previous births and prenatal
connections does not generally survive
in a present birth. Authenticated
ART. 118 ITS ECONOMY 271
instances arc, however, not wanting, which
unmistakahly demonstrate the survival
of some knowledge of previous lives.
Such extraordinary instances are fraught
with considerable scientific interest, and
they should be sought and reduced once
for all to a recognised scientific principle.
Besides throwing considerable light upon
the nature of the spirit-force, a scientific
enquiry into the occurrences would yield
a direct and positive proof of the theory
of metempsychosis. The argumentative
justification of this theory is clearly
inferable from the explanations we have
given of the creational economy of
Brahmand and of the third grand
•division of creation. It will, however,
be more satisfactory ^ if direct evidence
-of the kind, referred to, is obtained. As
regards Brahmand, the transmigration
of soul 'is not of such frequent occur*
rence as it is in the third grand
division of creation. The object of
metempsychosis is, (1) to endow spirits-,
272 CREATION PART III
to some extent j with fresh spiritual
energy at each birth, (2) to give them a
chance^ at intervals , for true reformation,
(3) to afford them an opportunity of
acquiring personal experience of the conse
quences of evil actions, and (4) to lighten^
the burden of their material associations*
to some extent, which is inevitable iii
consequence of their low allocation by
frequent agitations of death and misfor
tune.)
119— THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE
It appears to be a matter of onlinary
observation that the life of
specially that of man, is divided into four
distinct parts. The. first part or stage
extends from the time of birth to the
attainment of puberty. This period is.
characterised by vivacity, want of cares
and anxiety, and an absence of the
feelings of the sex. In the absence of
extraordinary circumstances to the con
trary, this period is also one of innocent
ART. 119 ITS ECONOMY 273
pleasure and joy, the smallest trifles con
tributing to them. During this period,
the power of receding into the conditions
of trance and hypnotic sleep is ordi
narily much greater than it is in any
other period of life. With the advent of
puberty, the second part of life com
mences and runs up to the time when the
ebb-tide of life makes its first manifesta
tion. This ebb-tide like the flow-tide of
life, which covers the first two periods, is
divided into two parts : (a) the period
during which the effects of the strain of
ebb are not very appreciable and during
which" the functions of manhood are
in a fairly working condition, (b) the
period of old age which is characterised
by a distinct shrinkage of the physical
frame and by retrogression of the
functions. During manhood aspirations
and hopes are like passions of a very
strong character, and the vital energy
which was gathered to overflowing makes
light of all difficulties and opposition.
R
274 CREATION PART III
The elasticity of youth almost imme
diately restores equilibrium after each
reverse, and existence appears to be more
or less a condition of sweet inebriation.
In the third period of life the effervescence
of manhood has subsided and its place has
been taken by experience and wisdom.
Catholicity and large-heartedness manifest
themselves. This is the period during
which success is ordinarily achieved in the
largest measure, attended by wealth,
name, and fame. The fourth or the
closing part of life is a second childhood,
but^if the life has been a virtuous one
and moderation has been observed, this
Sf ourth stage is not void of sweets peculiar
to itself. The innocent joys of childhood
are supplemented by the mellowed happi
ness of wisdom and experience. During
this last period, the ebb of vital, energies
is great, and the physical frame is accord
ingly reduced to a condition of great
delicacy. Small matters ordinarily affect
old age and the vicissitudes of seasons are
ART. 120 ITS ECONOMY 275
keenly felt. Ailments, too, are not infre
quent. From a spiritual point of view,
however, this inward flow is specially
advantageous inasmuch as it supplies a
natural impulse towards the aperture
which leads to death, thus strengthening
the spiritual practice which trains the
devotee to effect an entrance into that
-aperture at his will. The description of
the four stages of life here given refers to
a typical case of a human life, hut it can
he applied to the life of all entities, subject
of course, to the changes produced by
extraordinary occurrences or the visita
tions of Providence.
120— PARALLEL Q¥ FOUR STAGES OF
LIFE IN CREATION
As the entire creation has been evolved,
in the way previously stated, by means of
spiritual currents, which supply energy in
various forms and degrees to everything
in nature, it will not be illogical to find a
parallel in all the divisions of creation to
276 CREATION PART III
the four stages traceable in the individual
microcosm. AVe have already, by implica
tion, stated that the four stages are due
to the flow and ebb of spiritual currents.
They would, therefore, exist in that part
of the macrocosm which is subject to
similar action. In the purely spiritual
regions, the creation is immortal and
There is, therefore, no division
of the kind, referred to, in the first grand
division. The second and third grand
divisions are, however, subject to the
actions of contrary forces, and we ought
to seek in them for the parallel referred
to. As Brahmand is subject to changes
only at the time of the great dissolution
which occurs after an inconceivably long
interval, the four stages are hardly mani
fest there.
r
121 — FOUR YUGAS — CHARMING CONDITION
OF LIFE AND NATURE IN THREE OF THEM
In the third grand division, which is
subject to much more frequent dissolution^
ART. 121 ITS ECONOMY 277
the four stages, referred to above, are quite
manifest and are known as yugas (cycles).
These yngas are satya, \fretd, dwdpar,
and kail. The objective conditions of
the four yuyas are in a large measure in
harmony with the four parts of life des
cribed above. During satyayuga, the crea-
tional current, having freshly descended
into the third division, was highly charged
with the spiritual energy which it infused
in every form of animate and inanimate
existence. The aspect of nature was thus
highly ameliorating and charming, every
thing contributing to the mitigation of
seasonal effects; and health and plenty
flourished amain. Physical pains and
ailments, vicious deeds and impure
thoughts, egotism and pride, were almost
unknown. In perfect health and in the
enjoyment of their existence, tfee human
and other animate beings lived happily.
Like ripe fruits, spirits separated them
selves from the tree of physical frame
causing almost no pain at the time of
278 CREATION
PART
death, which occurred when extreme old' .
age had heen attained. The span of life,
too, was much larger than ours, and
human beings, in consequence of their
greater spirituality and of the high purity
of their heart, had no difficulty in getting
access at times into the astral planes and
holding communion with the departed
spirits. This yuga was of the largest
duration and in it the gracious object
of creation was appreciated by all deni
zens of the third grand division. How
immensely greater is the appreciation of
existence in the Brahrnand can be better
conceived than stated. During the next
yuga> too, the treta, the condition of
satyayuga almost prevailed and existence
was highly enjoyable. The cumulative
effect of the downward current, however,
manifested itself to some extent in a
detrimental form, to remove -which/the v
incarnation of E/am Chandra tookplace. <
In dwapar, there was another accumula
tion of circumstances adverse to the great
ART. 122 ITS ECONOMY 279
\j
^ .felicity of existence of that yuga, and
^ Sri Krishna Maharaj, the greatest of all
incarnations of the second grand division,
made his advent to remove its effects. It
y will be observed, from what we have stated
<J * above, that existence in the third grand
division during the three yugas was a
jN^I great boon, and in no sense a cause of
complaint to the beings concerned. These
three yugas cover more than about seven-
eighths of the life of the third grand
division. S*^**ffl*^*ty^^m^. *
&+JU ^ -kz %* t~^/£-
122 — KALIYUGA— ITS TROUBLES — A V
TIME FOR EMANCIPATION
In accordance with the theory about
the time of advent of Saints, as explained
in Article 110, the fourth yuga set in
sometime ago. The multiplication of
terrestrial disturbances, the frequent
occurrence of accidents involving great
loss of life and property, the prevalence
of plague which is a most powerful and
terrible agent of destruction of life, the
280 CREATION PART III
visitation of famine in increasing fre
quency which dries up plenitude and
reduces millions of souls to the heart
rending and terror-inspiring condition
of starvation and destitution, the great
solar disturbances which are now becom
ing so frequent — all these circumstances
unmistakably point to the fact that our
solar system is now in the fourth stage
of life. As the climatic conditions of
i the different parts of, our earth i,
the constitution, the Torin, and the habits
of the human and other animate species
inhabiting those parts to a very coneidey-
able extent, in the same way the peculiar
conditions of k&liyuga affect the entire
animate existence of the third grand
division. The ailments and the shrinkage,
which the material portion of that divi
sion is undergoing, in consequence of
the ebb of its main spiritual current
towards Brahmand, are the cause of the
troubles and afflictions we have specified
above. From a spiritual point of view,
ART. 122 ITS ECONOMY 281
however, the kalii/nya is the most suitable
yuga for the spiritual training of the
highest order, as this is the time of con
junction of the third grand division and
of Brahmand with the purely spiritual
regions. The troubles and ailments, we
have referred to, may be more frequent
still for some time to come, but their
internal effects have already been consi
derably mitigated by the advent of Saints,
and they are otherwise advantageous.
The deterrent effect of famine, plague,
terrestrial disturbances, and accidents is
great, and those who are affected by
their visitation naturally turn to their
Creator, when no worldly assistance is
possible^ or when it proves of no avail.
Others who are not directly affected
pause for a moment, so to say, in their
mundane career, and the evanescent nature
of the joys, riches, and ambitions of this
world, as also the transitory and unreliable
condition of our lives, force themselves
upon their attention. Such thoughts, not
282 CREATION PART III
acquired from others, although they, have
been produced by an experience of a very
bitter character, affect the innermost
quarter of^spirit to some extent, which
is already now under higher influences
in consequence of the creational ebb.
The religious craving, which is manifest
ing itself in an unmistakable form
among all nations of our earth, is due to
the attractive upward impulse referred
to. The manifestation of extraordinary
spiritual powers and conditions, which
are becoming more frequent now, may
also be ascribed to the same cause. In
accordance with our theory, the spiritual
current from the purely spiritual region
will, at no distant date, become pre
dominant in this world, when the central
phase of the conjunction with the first
grand division of creation takes place. All
the troubles that we are now undergoing
will disappear^ and a condition more
ameliorating, joyous, and blissful than
that of satyayuga will arrive. Spiritual
ART. 122 ITS ECONOMY 28£
powers which arc now so hidden will be
more manifest then, and without much
trouble or difficulty success will be attained
in spiritual training, and the spiritual and
internal experiences of the devotee will
be so many and so frequent^that he will
have positive proof^ during his life on this
earth, of his true emancipation and of his
location in the purely spiritual regions.
"\Vhen the spiritual regeneration and4
elevation have been effected thus in the
third and second grand divisions of
creation, the time for the great dissolution
will come. By the time of its occurrence
a very large number of entities will reach
the region of pure spirituality and would
become immortal. The remaining entities
and the creation of Brahmand and of the
third grand division will also be greatly
benefited by the dissolution. A new1
cycle of creation will commence and the
spiritual interest and the benefit of the
two grand divisions of creation will again
be guarded as in the previous cycle.
284 CREATION PART III
123 — THE ORIGIN OF VARIETIES
IN CREATION
The object of creation has been dealt
with piecemeal, sometimes directly and
sometimes by implication, in the preced
ing pages devoted to an explanation of
the origin and economy of creation. Be
fore recapitulating the fragmentary parts
of the object in question and depicting the
most gracious object of creation in a self-
contained whole, it appears to be desirable
to explain the causes which have given
rise to such innumerable varieties in
creation — a creation which in accordance
with our theory was evolved by an accen
tuation of the already existing eternal
polarisation of spirit-force. We have
already explained that the polarisation
consisted of the accumulation of the
spirit-force in one direction in an infinite
expanse, and of its depletion to a con
siderable extent from the opposite direc
tion (vide Article 77). The inference from
ART. 123 ITS ECONOMY 285-
this theory, viz., that whatever exists
ftierely represents a variation in the
degree of spirituality, and that the evolu
tion of the creation has not introduced
anything beyond a series of innumerable
grades of spirituality which did not pre
viously exist, is manifest. This is our
theory of creation, and as promised w&
now proceed to explain the innumerable
varieties found in it in a general way.
We have explained in Article 81
that in the presence of the full . and
complete refulgence, energy, bliss, and
intelligence of the infinite and supreme
spiritual -pole which constituted, as it
were, the infinite entity of the eternal
Supreme Being, the portions of lesser
spirituality appeared to Him to be want
ing in the fulness of the attributes speci
fied above. The features which the
deficiency presented, as compared with
the features of fulness, constituted the
origin of differentiae peculiar to each
degree of spirituality. To illustrate the
286 CREATION PART III
proposition we have enunciated, we would
•examine the condition of the nether pole*
where the spirituality is found to be of the
diffusest character. Against all-energy of
the north pole, the condition of the nether
pole is one of almost complete inertness.
Prom the point of view of energy, there
fore, the supreme source is the Actor
^nd the Creator, and the nether pole fur
nishes the materials to be acted on. In
this latter category, we may well include
every plane of spirituality of a degree
lesser than that of the supreme spiritual
source. Looking at the two poles, from
the point of view of intelligence, the
nether one is in its extreme rarity of
spirituality, entirely void of intelligence
and self-consciousness. The only trace of
intelligence found in that pole is the law
which regulates its constitution. The case
of the supreme pole is just the contrary,
•even the diffusest ray of spirituality
of the nether pole being sufficient for the
Omniscient Creator to obtain a knowledge
ART. 123 ITS ECONOMY 287
of the gross state of non-intelligence that
prevails at the lower pole. Between
these two poles there are innumerable
degrees of spirituality, and the intelligence
of each degree varies in accordance with
the quantity of spirituality possessed by
each. With the diminution of spiritu
ality, bliss and refulgence, too, undergo a
proportionate abatement. At the nether
pole there is thus a condition contrary
to bliss and refulgence, viz., pain and
darkness. The attributes of the lower
pole are accordingly inertness, non-intelli
gence, pain, and darkness. As that pole is
not itself conscious, it is unaware of all
these conditions. A sentient entity who,
however, happens to be present there can
perceive the attributes referred to. The
Supreme Being, as already stated above,
finds the attributes referred to, to be there
in the condition described above. His view
a condition is all accurate and the
spirit-entities, who are tiny emanations
from Him, view the condition accordingly,
288 CREATION PART III
although 011 a much smaller scale and
within a limited compass. The proposi
tion that a negative^ does not constitute
a source of positive knowledge of an ohject
which is being divested of its false con
ceptions by the process of negation, does
not apply to the matter under our
consideration. When we speak of haziness,
dimness, darkness, etc., we do not aver
that these conditions are due to different
degrees of negation of light. What we
have been explaining is the variation in
experience caused by the diminution
of a force. Such experience is positive
knowledge, as impressions upon a sentient
entity under normal conditions are the
means of knowledge, and they are techni
cally known as experience. As the grossest
plane of the nether pole is not entirely
void of spirituality, the experience of
the condition of that pole is not the
experience of negation, but is the experi
ence of the diffusest form of spirituality
met with in nature. When that experience
ART. 123 ITS ECONOMY 281)
represents the view presented to the
Supreme Being, its accuracy and positive-
ness admit of no question. In accordance
\vith our theory^ then, the innumerable
varieties in shape, colour, refulgence,
energy, intelligence, bliss, etc., etc., are all
due to the different experiences produced
by the different degrees of spirituality.
Furthermore, these experiences are not
different from the actualities of the objects
concerned, as these actualities constituted
the Supreme Being's experience. If our
theory of the perception derived by means
of the senses (vide Articles 96 and 97) be
correct, it is clear that in experiences of
all descriptions, the object communicates
itself in a subtle form to the correspond
ing tanmatra within ourselves, and the
nature of the experiences is, therefore,
similar to the subtle constitution of the
objects. If this be true, experiences can
not be dissociated from objects and are not
distinct from them. They are the effects
produced in various ways by spirituality
290 CREATION PART III
of different degrees projected to the sen
tient entity. The cause thus ever gives
its impression to the effect, and the two
represent different conditions of one and
the same thing. The circumstances which
accompany the cause are connected with
those which accompany the effect, and the
two represent different conditions of one
and the same thing. The circumstances
which accompany the cause and the effect
are, however, ordinarily dissimilar in
character, and it is not therefore possible
to trace the inherent connection between
them. In illustration of the principle
explained, we may consider the case of a
ray of the sun. It is a projection, so to
say, from the sun, and it is also an effect
produced by the radiating energy of the
sun. An examination of the ray shows
that it carries, on a small and subtle scale,
the form, the constituents, etc., of the
source or the cause. Here the element of
the cause in the effect is manifest, and
this is the modus operand* of the evolution
p
ART. 12 I ITS ECONOMY 291
of the entire creation from the top to the
lowest depths of the nether pole.
12-1 — THE GRACIOUS OBJECT OF CREATION
The Supreme Being is an infinite
ocean of all absorbing rapture and love,
of supreme intelligence from which
nothing remains concealed, of supreme
energy or spirit which supplies force and
vitality to eveiytMru|£jtt^ °^ suPrem®
light whose lustre^ is indescribable. In
this all- glorious condition, eternal and
infinite, unaffected by anything, He exists.
Association with such a source must
necessarily impart the beneficial attributes
of His essence. The pre-creational
association and subordination of the planes
other than that of the infinite source
were, therefore, pregnant with a supreme
gracious object. When in the fulness of
time the association was intensified, the
lower strata burst forth into a glorious
creation by the advent of a mighty current
-of the essence of the Supreme Beino-.
292 CREATION PART III
The region which was nearest to Him,
and which in point of expanse was
immensely greater than the rest of the
creation, was made immortaL at oncer
* >»***- ct\ endowed with such spirituality that the
creation itself hecame intelligent as a
whole, and attached for ever to the
supreme source. The denizens of this
region, too, whose numher is inconceiv
ably larger than that of the denizens of
other parts of creation, woke up from
a state of stupor into an immortal and
immutable life of extreme rapture and
bliss, susceptible in no way to the
feeblest shadow of a condition of an
opposite character. By far the largest
portion of the pre-creational region below
that of the supreme source became
the recipient of a favour which is beyond
description. It is hardly necessary to
remark that the gracious object involved
in organising a creation of the region,
referred to, is almost inconceivable, and
the Supreme Being alone, Who is all-bliss,
ART. 12 1 ITS ECONOMY 293
•could conceive of such an object. In the
evolution of other parts of creation, the
ohject was not less generous. The pre-
creational deficiency of spirituality pre
vented the other parts from receiving
in a full measure the benefit that had
been showered by the Supreme Bei
but the gracious object did not fail
-effect its ends to the highest degree*
possible. The evils of the deficiency were
mitigated and minimised, and such a place
assigned to those other parts in the
economy of creation, that eventually they
always contributed to an enhancement of
the bliss of existence. The evil, we have
referred to, is almost nominal in the second
o-rand division of creation, and when the
time arrives for its manifestation, the
great dissolution takes place, and the evil
is not allowed to assert itself. In the
.second grand division of creation also,
which constitutes the major portion of
the fractional creation left behind after
.appropriation of the spiritual region by
294 CREATION PART III
the Supreme Being, the object ,of creation
was practically^*) cc^ercaKnost ever-
J ^
lasting bliss and. happiness similar to some-
extent to that of the first grand di vision .
The ^spirituality of the third ^rand
<rw e-Ufv/ .
division is or the lowest order, and evil
? fa
tendencies, pains, and torments are-
accordingly associated in a large measure
with existence in this division. .ttDurinsr
/5u^t
the first yngas they, however, oo not
manifest themselves, and life witn its
joys is an immense Loon compared to-
the pre-creational condition. In about
the eighth part of the life of the third
divisioToTtire denizens are under the direct
influence of material and evil desires,
and are afflicted with various sorts of
troubles, anxieties, fear, &c. During
that period, they have also to pay the
penalty of their evil acts in hell. But
these adverse conditions produce a shift
ing which results in the elimination
of material covers, and at no distant date
they become fit to receive the grace*
ART. 124 ITS ECONOMY 295
which accompanies the advent of adepts.
If the time for the great dissolution has-
arrived this grace comes direct from the
gracious Supreme Creator of the purely
spiritual regions, otherwise it descends-
from Brahmand. In the former case,
the denizens of the third division derive
immense spiritual benefit, and a very large
number of them is trained for admittance
into the immortal regions of the first
grand division. If, therefore, we consider
the immensely large time allowed to all
denizens for the enjoyment of existence,
and the comparatively short period during
which they are subject to pain merely as
a remedial measure, the gracious object
of creation in the lowest division becomes
manifest in a very pronounced form^and
the wisdom of the Supreme Being appeals
forcibly in all that He has ordained.
When the inherent powers of the spirit
become developed to some extent, all
occurrences and conditions, whether they
be adverse or favourable to our well-being,
296 CREATION PART III
show by unmistakable signs and laws the
gracious object of the evolution of crea
tion, and the devotee enraptured by their
glimpse is translated into a condition which
is one of ecstasy, love, and admiration of
the Supreme Creator. If the effect is too
strong, the faculties of expression are
lost, and in that rapturous state he is in
communion, as it were, with the Supreme
Being.^'To know the object of creation
by pure intuition, and not by the hazy
methods of argumentation which hide
the true view, is to know the gracious
ordain rnent of the Supreme Creator. The
school of spiritual training, where such
knowledge is acquired, is 9 therefore, a
blessed institution, and is specially under
the supervision of the Supreme Being.
Intellectual training and development,
even of the highest possible degree, is not
sufficient by itself for the purpose of
comprehending in an experimental way
the object of creation, and this should be
kept in view when the object of creation
ART: 12 i ITS ECONOMY 297
is studied. Our knowledge is confined to
the three planes of dimensions of this
world. They are not, however, the only
planes of action and effect in this nature.
There are other innumerable planes which
perform important functions in the
economy of creation. They are, however,
perceptible by intuition or the subtle
senses of knowledge, and not by these
physical senses. We do become cognisant
at times of their action on the planes in
our view, but such phenomena are so few
and far between that a posteriori know
ledge cannot build up an accurate con
ception on the basis of these occurrences
the other planes in question.1 It does
not, therefore, appear to us to be unreason
able to observe that the subtle senses
within us should be trained for the proper
•comprehension of the planes beyond the
three planes referred to, and that a
reduction of everything to these three
planes should not be insisted upon as a
necessarv condition of knowledge.
PART IV
Karma^/. e., the Actions performed by
Human Entities and their Effects on Them
125 — THE PENAL LAW OF CREATION-
ITS ADVANTAGES
f-T is clear from what we have ex*
plained of the creation in the pre
ceding chapter that the entire body of the
creational laws has been made with a
beneficent object. The penal laws, too,
contribute to some extent to eventual
good, and the spirit- entities after under
going punishment become fit for spiritual
elevation to a specified degree in the
grand division of creation in which they
are located. These remarks apply in
their entirety to the third grand division,,
although traces of the economy, referred
to, are not entirely absent from the sub-
creational portions of the first and second
grand divisions. The penal provisions,
ART. 125 KARMA 299-
although they apply equally to all, are,.
BIO-^DV^. mainly intended for the reforma
tion of those who are incapable of deriving
benefit from the laws that provide for
reward. It is hardly necessary to observe
that desires and acts and indolence, which
seek reformation and eventual good in the
creational incarceration, are marked by
a want of wisdom and foresight which is-
very discreditable. Such a view is, how
ever, given effect to in actual practice by
incapable people, while those^ endowed
with the necessary foresight and
intelligence ^ make themselves acquainted
with the laws in question^ for the purpose
of obtaining the rewards and for protect
ing themselves from the penalties.
Further, the penal provisions merely
eliminate the evil propensities to some
extent, and thus render the spirit fit for
elevation, as already stated, in that divi
sion alone in which it is located. Its-
translation to a higher division is, however,
impossible, unless the spirit-entity comes
'300 KARMA PART IV
<lirectly under the influence of the spiri
tual current of the higher division^and is
also aided in its efforts of ascension hy an
adept of that division. The instrument
of such higher Influence is spiritual train
ing, and for its proper performance it
is absolutely necessary that the lower
tendencies, which are predominant in the
second and third grand divisions, should
l)e thoroughly understood and overcome.
As the training, referred to, can he under
gone with success in a human form alone
(vide Article 111), the explanations that
we proceed to record now refer to the
•effects produced on a human entity by his
surroundings and by his individual acts.
126 — THE IMPRESSIONS ON A HUMAN
ENTITY AND THE MODE OF THEIR
PRESERVATION
Before describin^the various classes of
acts or karmo8,&n<i the laws which regu
late their influence in the future, we
would ascertain how the surroundings act
ART. 126 ITS EFFECTS 301
upon a human entity, how theS£j_are
recorded and preserved within him, and
how his desires and volition are generated
by them and otherwise. The surround-
^a"*
ings act upon the senses. The impressions
produced in the latter are perceived at
the time, but the matter does not termi
nate at that stage. All these impressions
are preserved somewhere within us, the
most insignificant and the feeblest of
them even finding a place in the internal
record. That such is the fact is demon
strated beyond question by the several
cases mentioned by Abercrombie in his
treatise on "Intellectual Powers." They
refer to the recollection and repetition^
by several ladies and gentlemen^of some
foreign verses, which had e-
come within the range of their hearing.
As the verses in question were unintelli
gible to them, and^attegtion of the feeblest
characterAnust^W^been drawn to the-
recitatioiyot the 'Verses, the impression^
produced by them must have been also of
302 KARMA PART IV
the feeblest nature. Yet ^ when their
attention, in the extraordinary condition
of excitedness caused by delirium, was
confronted by the impressions within, a
distinct recollection of the verses cropped
up, and the impressions acted>ascentre^7
for the recital of the verses. Themedium
on which all such impressions, viz., those
produced through the senses^ and also
those which are due to subjective actions,
are recorded and preserved, is the ether.
127 — MANAKASH — ITS FUNCTIONS
Akasli tattwa or ether, upon which the
impressions received through the senses
^Vvw^C p/\jL&&*i^e-£L
are recorded^ is known as mandkdsh
(mind-sky). This akash possesses an
elasticity of an immensely high character,
identical with the elasticity of ^ ether
found in creation. By means of this
elasticity the impressions produced in
manakashj or in the ordinary ether of
nature* are transmitted to their destina
tion. The destination in the case «
ART. 128 ITS EFFECTS 303
natural disturbances is radiative, while in
the case of manakash, although tiiis func
tion is not wanting, it isf JsuBiective./
,r- , ... ., n - ff&^K^t
Mind with. /its four functions becomes
frf fa- 4*~~f&jLsV4^in^ * .
cognisant at the time the*, impressions are
being recorded, but^with the diversion of
attention to other impressions and in
other directions, the consciousness of the
previous impressions f ado? and ^ gradually^
they pass away from the ordinary schedule
of memory. The impressions, however,
by such disappearance, are not entirely
effaced. They are scrupulously preserved
in the old records of manak&sh. When
these are approached, whether voluntarily
or involuntarily, by complete convergence
of attention towards them, theylorth-
with are reproduced and recollected as
explained above.
128 — LAWS FOR THE REPRODUCTION
OF IMPRESSIONS
From the cases mentioned by Aber-
crombie, we have stated above, two
faWfa
304 KARMA PART IV
principles are clearly deducible, viz., (1)
that by the association of complete atten
tion with the impressions an entity has-
received, it acts entirely in accordance
with the nature of those impressions, even
when they are extremely feeble and even
when thev are not intelligible ; and (2)
thatliSese &eter react upon the manakdsh
and fckot under favourable circumstances,
viz., by complete association of attention
with them, they can again constitute
centres of future action.
RADHASOAMI
SAHAI
APPENDIX A
A Brief View of the Radhasoami Faith
tiki
JjADHASOAMI is the real name of the Supreme
Creator. This holy name may be briefly ex
plained as follows : —
If the faculty of hearing is sufficiently developed,
all force-currents could be heard as sounds. The
Supreme Creator evolved this creation by His
spiritual currents. Spirit-force is the force of
attraction, love, and intelligence or intuition. Like
other forces, in its creative action it acts by focus
and currents emanating therefrom. The sound, in
articulate speech, of the spirit-current is ' Radha,*
«nd that of the spiritual focus or reservoir is
' Soami.' Radhasoami is accordingly held to be
the true and real name of the Supreme Creator,
and its sound, which resounds in the innermost
quarter of all regions, can be heard by a devotee
of the Radhasoami sect, when the faculty of
hearing inherent in his spirit is developed by the
process of devotional practice prescribed by the
T
306 APPENDIX A
Radhasoami Faith. This name was given out by
Radhasoami, the Supreme Creator Himself, when
He made His advent in this world as a Sant
Satguru, i. e.t true supreme guide and preceptor
in human form.
As in the state of somnambulism all the functions
of body and senses are performed from a plane
higher than that which the soul occupies in the
wakeful state, so all the actions of the incarnation
of the true Creator are regulated by the currents
coming direct from the Supreme Creator Himself.
The incarnation of Radhasoami Dayal manifested
Himself at Agra and gave out this religion in
1861 A. D.
Exaltation of the spirit by the aid of the spiri
tual current, which is perceived as sound internally,
to the pure region of spirit, which is the only true
abode of perfect emancipation and salvation, consti
tutes the devotional practice of the Radhasoami
Faith. Service of the incarnation of the Supreme
Creator, when He manifests Himself as Sant
Satguru, and love for Him, are indispensable
.adjuncts for the performance of the devotional
practice mentioned above. Nay, they constitute a
factor of the devotional practice itself.
Unaided by Sant Satguru, Who has access to the
astral and higher planes, the devotional practice of
sound and spirit cannot be properly performed. No
rituals or other outward ceremonies are enjoined by
APPENDIX A 307
-the Radhasoami Faith. The practice is to be per
formed in a secluded place wherever it is available.
Human actions which tend to, or result in, the
increased concentration or exaltation of the
spirit-force constitute true virtue according to the
Radhasoami Faith, while those effecting the
opposite results, viz., diffusion and degradation of
spirit into lower material regions are vice.
The moral code of the Radhasoarai Faith for the
regulation of worldly affairs is that you should act
as you would that others should act towards you.
This religion has considerably expanded during
the last ten years, and a large number of educated
people have joined it.
This religion professes to be based upon purely
scientific grounds and nothing is to be accepted
which cannot be comprehended by facts, natural
laws, and phenomena observable in this world.
Nothing is to be believed as hearsay or blind faith.
Mere theoretical comprehension of the principles is
not aimed at, their experimental realisation is
specially laid stress upon. Unless the spirit could,
at the will of the devotee of the Radhasoami Faith,
leave the body and reach the highest spiritual
spheres, his devotion has not resulted in the attain-
"ment of the object in view.
According to the Radhasoami Faith there are
three grand divisions in creation ; the highest
is purely spiritual and called the region of mercy
308 APPENDIX A
or ' Dayal Desb'. The second is spiritual-material,,
i. e.j in this division spirit predominates and matter
in a very fine and pure form is mixed up with it. It
is called ' Brahmand ' or the region of the Universal
Mind. The third or the lowest division is known
as the material-spiritual region ' Find,' i.e., the
region of individual mind and desire. Matter in
this division is coarse and predominates over spirit,
whose action is feeble and never manifests itself
unless through material covers. Each grand
division has six subdivisions. Their correspon
dence is to be found in human frame, which repre
sents on a small scale the whole creation. The six
subdivisions of the lowest region * Find ' are to
be found in the human frame as the six ganglia or
nervous centres commencing from the lowest in
l^^ rectum to the highest which is situated midway
between the two eyes at the root of the nose, where
the nerves from the various centres converge, and
which is known as the pineal gland. The other four
ganglia are in the throat, the heart, the navel, and
the reproductive organ. Similar ganglia, of which
the above six are reflex images, are to be found in
Brahmand. The grey matter of the brain com
prises these six centres, and they correspond with
the six spheres of Brahmand. The purely spiri
tual region corresponds with the white matter
of the brain, and six centres are to be four^d
therein which correspond writh the six spheres
APPENDIX A 309
of the regions of mercy. The sixth, or the highest
sphere of the purely spiritual regiou, is the abode
of the true Supreme Creator, Radhasoami Dayal.
No caste prejudices are observed by the Radha
soami Faith. The only conditions required for
embracing the Radhasoami religion are abstinence
from meat and animal food, and liquor and all
intoxicating drugs, and a conviction that the goal of
the Radhasoami Faith is the only true goal of true
and perfect salvation. Animal food generates out
ward activity and energy, and as such, is detrimental
to the inward concentration and exaltation of the
spiritual current, to secure which perfect quiescence
of thoughts and $u*!ward activity is indispensable.
Intoxicating drugs affect the nervous system and
disturb their calmness and serenity which are
necessary for the proper performance of, the spiritual
practice prescribed by the Radhasoami Faith.
All the extant religions have for their goal the
spheres comprised in the second grand division or
the spiritual-material regions which are subject to
decay and dissolution, because matter is mutable,
and regions subject to its influence, however subtle
they may be, sooner or later undergo change.
These goals or spheres are not clearly mentioned
in the tenets of the extant religions, but allusions
and hints about them are to be found in their holy
books. One initiated in esoteric teachings can only
comprehend those hints and is aware of the location
310 APPENDIX A
of those spheres. But such adepts, if any, are very
rare, and only those initiated in the Radhasoami
Faith can at present understand the esoteric teach
ings of all other religions also, and form a correct
idea of the altitude of each. The followers of the
various extant religions do not know the goal of
their own faith nor the comparative worth of the
various religions. In Radhasoami Faith, it is also
a part of the tenets, that the comparative value of
the various religions should be clearly understood,
and with this object the holy books of the Radha-
soami Faith contain a short description and an
examination of the tenets of other religions.
The doctrine of the transmigration of souls is
held by those of the Radhasoami Faith. Its theory
is that faculties developed by the exercise of the
various functions of a spirit-entity are engrained
in the astral or subtle environments which accom
pany the spirit at the time of death and they
regulate its future birth.
RADHASOAMI
SAHAI
APPENDIX B
A Brief Exposition of the Radhasoami Faith
HE founder of the Radhasoami Faith was an.
incarnation of the Supreme Creator, Radha
soami Himself. He manifested Himself in a
respectable and old family of Khattries at Agra in
1818, and was known by the name of Shiv Dayal
Singh. From early childhood He devoted Himself,
to the practice expounded in the Radhasoami
Faith, and His extraordinary powers of sanctity and
holiness had great effect upon the mind and spirit
of all persons who' came in contact with Him. He
gave out the principles of the Radhasoami Faith in
1861, although previous to this year some ladies
had been privately initiated in the mode of devo
tional practice expounded by Him. Regular con
gregations of the devotees of the Radhasoami
Faith were held at His house several times every
day, and about three to four thousand persons
joined the Faith during His life-time. He departed
from this world in June 1878. He compiled two-
312 APPENDIX B
; f i /
works in vernacular upon Radhasoami Faith, one
in prose and the other in verse. Sometime after
His demise, His place was taken up by His chief
disciple, Rai Saligram Saheb Bahadoor, whose
undivided and extraordinary devotion attracted
wide attention. The religion made great progress
during the life-time of Rai Saligram Saheb Baha
door, and persons of all denominations and caste,
specially those belonging to educated classes,
accepted the principles of the Radhasoami Faith,
and devotees of this religion now number over ten
thousand and new applicants for initiation are
coming in daily. Rai Saligram Saheb Bahadoor
has written several books both in verse and prose
upon the principles of this religion, which have
been expounded on scientific lines in some of them.
These works are in vernacular, but a short expo
sition has also been written in English.
The attainment of a state of immortal and ecstatic
bliss entirely free from pain of every description is
salvation, which can be obtained only by advent into
a region of pure spirit uucontaminated with matter,
the abode of the true Supreme Creator, Radhasoami.
Spirit-force is the supreme force that has evolved
the whole creation, its attributes being love, attrac
tion or creative action, immortality, intelligence,
and bliss. In animate beings, spirit-force is also
manifested as current of attention. Matter is inert.
substance, whose original condition was atomic or
APPENDIX B 313
xjhaotic, all forms in material regions having been
formed by the action of spirit upon matter.
Admixture of spirit with matter gives rise to condi
tion susceptible of pain, which is received by a
spirit-entity as the sensation accompanying the
forcible separation of its currents from the mental
or material plane that it may be occupying.
A force cannot exist without a focus or reservoir,
and thus the polarisation of the spirit-force resulted
in the separation of spiritual and material regions,
the purely spiritual regions being at one end or pole
and the material regions at the other. The location,
however, of a material region implies localising
action upon matter in that region. The material
pole of creation, too, is therefore subject to the
action of spirit. Accordingly there are three
grand divisions of creation, (1) purely spiritual, (2)
spiritual-material, (3) material-spiritual. These
three grand divisions have six subdivisions in each.
All spiiit-entities, being rays of the ocean or
infinite sun of spirit, fovin similar divisions and sub
divisions when they incarnate as animate beings.
In man, the most highly developed spiritual being,
these are most manifest. The white substance of
the brain corresponds to purely spiritual regions
and has six subdivisions. - The grey matter of the
brain corresponds to the second division of creation
and has similar subdivisions. The six ganglia from,
the pineal gland downwards to the rectum, viz., —
314 APPENDIX B
1st in the pineal gland, 2nd in the throat, 3rd in-
the solar plexus, 4th in the navel, 5th in the
reproductive organ, and the 6th in the rectum,,
constitute the six subdivisions of the third region
which is known as Find. The seat or focus of the
spirit is in the pineal gland. If its actions are
towards spheres or ganglia lower than its seat, the
result is descent of spirit into lower or infernal
regions, if higher than the seat of its location, the
result would be its exaltation into regions of higher
bliss and joy, and eventual entrance into the purely
spiritual regions. The method of devotional prac-
/ / /
tice prescribed by the Radhasoami Faith consists in
raising the spirit from its seat to higher regions by
the aid of attraction of the spirit-current in the-
higher regions of creation.
Force-current, of whatever kind it may be, can
be felt as sound if it impinges upon an apparatus of
sufficient sensitiveness similar to the organ of hear
ing. The spirit-current is therefore felt as sound
in the practice, referred to above ; and the devo
tional practice is technically known as the sound
and spirit practice of yoga. But its successful
performance requires the aid of a spirit which has
already by means of the above practice reached the
purely spiritual regions, or has made its advent
direct into the world and is endowed with all the
powers of the purely spiritual regions. Such
a spirit is known as true guide and preceptor and
APPENDIX B
is considered to be an incarnation of the presiding
deity of the region from which it has come down
or whereto it has access, inasmuch as all the ac
tions of such a being are regulated by currents
from that region direct, just as a person in a state
of clairvoyance or somnambulism acts through
the senses from a plane which is different from the
plane from which persons under normal condi
tions perform the various functions of spirit.
Mental and spiritual repetition of the sounds of the
various higher spheres, so far as they can be re
duced to articulate speech, is also necessary. The
articulate representations are known as real or true
names or mantras of the presiding deities of the
various spheres. The true name or mantra of this
description of the Supreme Creator, the Presiding
Deity of the purely spiritual regions, the Lord of
all, is Radhasoami. The function of creation has
been performed by the focus or reservoir and the
main wave or current of spirit-force emanating
therefrom, and the true Creator is therefore the
vast ocean of spirit and the main spirit-current
mentioned above. The articulate name correspond
ing to the sound of wave or current is ' Radha *
and that representing the sound of the ocean of
attraction is * Soami.' Radhasoami is then the
real name of the Supreme Creator. Great stress
is^ therefore, laid upon generating a true and sin
cere love for the true guide and for performing
316 APPENDIX B
acts of service to Him, and upon attending to His
discourses. Contemplation of the image of Sanfc
Satguru, as being the representative in human form
of the Supreme Being Himself, is one of the chief
practices of devotion of the Radhasoami Faith.
The moral code of the Radhasoami Faith con
sists, so far as our actions towards others are con
cerned, in withholding ourselves from such acts as
we would that others should not do to us. True
virtue or vice, however, consists in the exaltation
of spirit into higher regions or its descent into the
lower, as the case maybe; accordingly actions or
impulses which tend to exalt or lower the spirit are
virtuous or sinful. Abstinence from animal diet
and intoxicants of all descriptions is indispensable
for the performance of the devotional practice pres
cribed by the Radhasoami Faith. Animal diet-
produces great outward activity which is prejudi
cial to quiescence of mind — the necessary condition
for the concentration and exaltation of spirit, while
intoxicants acting upon the nerve affect the
vehicle of the spirit-current and are thus injurious
to the devotional practice.
In the Radhasoami Faith there are no outward
rites and ceremonies, but anything used by the;
true guide is considered to be highly spiritu
alised, and such garments which have been in use,
or meals partaken by Him, or water sanctified by
His touch or by the ablution of His Feet, or of
APPENDIX B 317
garlands worn by Him, are highly valued and used
by devotees with great eagerness. A ceremony con
sisting in looking intently into the eyes of the trua
guide, while sacred hymns of love and devotion
to the Feet of Radhasoami or of exaltation of
spirit into higher regions and the experiences of
higher bliss are being recited, is known as the Strati
ceremony, and is held to be highly efficacious in
concentrating and elevating the spirit.
RADHASOAMI
SAHAI
APPENDIX C
Constitution and Bye=Laws of the Central
Council Radhasoami Satsang
PART I— CONSTITUTIONAL POWERS
constitutional powers of the Central Council
Radhasoami Satsaug which was established
in the year 1902 by a majority of votes of the mem
bers of the Radhasoami Faith are as below : —
(a) To regulate the conduct of business per
taining to the Radhasoami Satsang and
its branches and of the followers of the
Radhasoami religion.
(&) To collect, preserve, and administer the
properties movable and immovable thafc
have been or may hereafter be dedicated
to Radhasoami Dayal or that may be
acquired for or presented to the Radha
soami Satsang for the furtherance of the
objects of the Satsang.
(c) To do the above and all such other things
as are incidental or conducive to the
APPENDIX C 319
attainment of the above objects in accord
ance with the directions of the Sant Satguru
for the time being, if any, Who is recognised
as the Representative of the Supreme
Creator, Radhasoaini Dayal, and Whose
mandates shall be paramount and absolute
in all the matters referred to above.
(d) To fill up vacancies among its members
consequent upon death or resignation or
any other cause, also to add to or to reduce
its number or remove any member for
sufficient reasons, provided that at no time
the number of members be less than ten.
PART II— BYE-LAWS
2. The Council shall from its members elect a
President, Vice-President, and a Secretary. The
Vice-President will succeed to the vacancy caused
by death, retirement, or resignation of the Presi
dent, who will be entitled to hold the office of
President during his life if not incapacitated by
circumstances which may be considered by a
majority of the members of the Council to neces
sitate replacement.
3. There is no term fixed for the office of Vice-
President and that of the Secretary. They shall,
however, be liable to replacement at the discretion
of the Council under circumstances similar to those
mentioned in the preceding paragraph.
320 APPENDIX C
4. For carrying on ordinary routine work, a
Managing Committee, composed of at least 4 mem
bers of the Council and the President or the Vice-
President, shall be formed.
5. The quorum of the Council shall consist of
seven members including the President or the Vice-
President, and that of the Managing Committee, of
three members and its presiding officer.
6. The Managing Committee shall have the
power to make provisional appointments, to fill all
vacancies among its members and those of the
Council, caused by death, incapacity, resignation or
otherwise, and shall have discretional powers in all
matters not provided for in these rules, subject to
the confirmation of the Council.
7. Urgent matters, which the Managing Com
mittee is not empowered to deal with and which
cannot well be held over till the next meeting of
the Council, will be referred to the President and
all the members for settlement.
8. The Managing Committee shall meet at such
place as may be appointed by the Council for this
purpose. It will have the power to appoint its
office-bearers and to arrange for the conduct of its
business.
Note. — In cases of urgency when it is not possible to convene
a meeting of the Managing Committee and in purely routine
matters, the discretional powers conferred upon the Committee-
will be exercised by its presiding officer.
APPENDIX C 321
9. All property of Raclhasoami Satsang and its
brandies both movable and immovable which
exists at present or may hereafter be presented to
Radhasoami Dayal or be otherwise acquired, will
for the maintenance and advancement of the
objects of the Satsang, be vested in a body of
trustees designated the " Radhasoami Trust. "
10. The Council will meet not less than once
every year at Agra for the consideration and con
firmation of the proceedings of the Managing Com
mittee and the Radhasoami Trust, which will be
submitted to it for the above purposes and the
passing of the annual reports, and for such other
matters as may be submitted for its orders.
11. The President or, in his absence, the Vice-
President, shall have the power to convene meet
ings of the Council or the Managing Committee, at
his discretion.
12. It will be the duty of the Council to review
the annual accounts of the Satsang and its
branches as also to pass their budgets.
13. All matters will be decided in the Council,
or the Managing Committee by a majority of votes :
in cases of equality of votes, the presiding officer
will have the casting vote.
14. The following ate the principal duties of the
Secretary : —
1. To initiate correspondence and issue instruc
tions in connection with the due observance
TJ
322 APPENDIX C
of standing rules.
2. To prepare the annual report in such form
as may be determined by the Council.
3. To record minutes of the proceedings of the
meetings of the Central Council, which
when signed by the President or the Vice-
President and the Secretary and confirmed
at a subsequent meeting, shall be evidence
of all appointments made, orders issued,
decisions arrived at, and amendments to
rules authorised by the Council and the
Managing Committee respectively.
4. To represent the Council in all business
transacted by it.
5. To formulate and put up such proposals
before the Council as may be ordered by
the President, the Vice-President, or any
two members of the Council.
6. To carry out the orders of the President and
the Vice-Presideut, and to give effect to
the resolutions of the Council and the
Managing Committee.
7. The supervision of maintenance and custody,
of registers, returns, proceedings and other
records.
15. All persons who already belong to the
Radhasoami Faith, or who may hereafter accept the
conditions of that Faith and be initiated in the
modes of devotion thereof, shall be registered by
APPENDIX C
theManagiDg Committee or by a Branch Satsanorin
^i prescribed form. A copy of this register will be
submitted to the Managing Committee as soon as ifc
has been completed, and all additions and alterations
therein will be annually reported to the Managing
Committee by the 1st of February. The names of
persons, who for special reasons do not desire to
publicly disclose their identity, may be separately
recorded in a register to be confidentially main
tained by the Secretary.
16. Followers of the Radhasoami religion, who
do not agree to the registration of their names as
•members of the Radhasoami Satsang, or who do.
not carry out such orders as may be issued to them,
by proper authority, or infringe any of the rules,
shall, after due warning in writing, forfeit all the
privileges enjoyed by the members of the Satsang,
viz. : —
(1) The privilege to vote, and
(2) The right of being provided with board and
lodging at places where arrangements for
the accommodation of out-station satsangis
exist.
17. Persons desirous of joining the Radhasoami
Faith should, until otherwise directed, apply for the
necessary initiation to Rai Partab Singh Seth
Saheb, Lala Ajudhia Parshad Saheb, or Pandifc
Brahrn Sankar Misra Saheb. The applicants will
be initiated by a local satsangi authorised for
324 APPENDIX C
the purpose by any of the aforesaid gentlemen
or by means of a printed paper of instructions;
furnished to them for the purpose. It will
be open to the Council to accord general per
mission to a member of Radhasoami religion
to initiate applicants. A register of persons so
authorised will be maintained by the Managing
Committee.
18. Initiation by persons not authorised in the
manner described above will not be recognised,
and persons who after due warning persist in ini
tiating people in the modes of devotional practices
of the Radhasoami Faith will be liable to suspension
for a time or removal from the Satsang.
19. Use of intoxicants and animal diet, bribery,
adultery, gambling, and other heinous offences
which transgress morality or result in serious harm
and injury to the person, property, or reputation of
any individual or community, will entail the sus
pension or removal of a member of the Satsang.
Sufficient time will, however, as far as practicable,
always be allowed for reformation or redress before
the suspension or removal is carried into effect.
Whenever suspension or removal is decided upon,
it will be ordered in writing with the grounds for
it. The above power will, generally, be exercised
by the Council. The Council shall, also, take pro
per notice of the conduct of persons who behave in
such a way towards the members of any local
APPENDIX C 325
Satsang or other religious sects or bodies as to
create friction and ill-feeling. In case of a heinous
offence, however, the Managing Committee will
have the power to suspend or remove, if necessary,
such a person immediately. Action under this
clause will specially be reported at the next meeting
of the Central Council.
20. When there are not less than ten registered
resident male members of the Radhasoami Faith at
any place, they shall constitute a Branch Satsang
and report this fact to the Managing Committee
for record.
21. For carrying on the business of the Branch
Satsang, the members thereof will elect a corres
pondent from amongst them who would be the
recognised medium of communication in respect of
management and conduct of the Branch Satsang
with the Managing Committee, to which body his
name shall be communicated in writing, on election,
under the signature of all the members of the
Branch Satsaug. The correspondent may, for
sufficient reasons, be replaced at the discretion of
the Branch Satsang. The cause of replacement
and the name of person appointed to succeed will
be reported to the Managing Committee and the
Radhasoami Trust.
22. The Radhasoami Trust shall prescribe rules
for the proper care and custody of the movable
and immovable property belonging to the S itsang
326 APPENDIX C
and its branches and for the proper maintenance of
accounts.
23. Every Branch Satsang shall submit annu
ally to the Radhasoami Trust, in such form as may
be directed by the Council, a statement of the
accounts of the past year in the beginning of Feb*
ruary, and a budget of the ensuing year by the
middle of November. Provided that no budget
need be framed by a Branch Satsang whose expen
diture is less than Rs. 1,200 per annum, nor need
accounts be rendered to the Radhasoami Trustr
when the expenditure falls short of Rs. 200 per
annum. The Radhasoami Trust shall lay the
accounts and the budget at the next meeting of the
Council.
For account purposes the year of the Council
will begin on 1st January and end on 31sfc Decem
ber.
Note. — Alterations in the forms of accounts and budgets
may be made by the Managing Committee.
24. Expenditure in excess of the total amount
of the budget shall not be incurred without the
previous sanction of the Radhasoami Trust. Such
sanctions will be specially reported, with full par
ticulars, to the Council in the proceedings of the
Radhasoami Trust.
25. The Trust shall be revocable at the discre
tion of the Council and the trustees shall hold their
office at its pleasure.
APPENDIX C 327
26. The members of the Radhasoami Trust
shall be elected by the Radbasoami Council which
shall also make addition to, or reduction in, their
number, as well as, fill up vacancies among them
caused by death, resignation, or removal.
27. All immovable property as soon as acquired
by Satsang, either as a present or offering, shall
be conveyed in the name of the Radhasoami
Trust.
28. Surplus funds of the Radhasoami Trust shall
be invested in such manner and with such bankers
or persons as the Trust may deem fit, subject to the
confirmation of the Council : provided that no im
movable property shall be purchased, sold or mort
gaged, nor loans in excess of Rs. 500 each raised or
given out by the trustees unless they are direct
ed to do so by a resolution of the aforesaid Council
passed to that effect ; provided also that the aggre
gate amount of such loans as are contracted or given
out by the trustees within the aforesaid limit of
Rs. 500 prescribed for such loan shall, at no time,
exceed Rs. 5,000.
This bye-law shall not apply to bona fide deposits
made by satsangis.
29. All other business incidental to the care,
custody, and management of the movable and im
movable property of the Satsang shall be carried
out by the Trust under such rules and regulations
as they may frame in this behalf by a majority of
328 APPENDIX C
their votes, the quorum of their meetings consisting
of not less than half the number of the trustees,
subject to the following provisos : —
(a) That an annual account of income and
expenditure of the Trust shall be laid
before the Council for confirmation at such
time or in such form as the Council may
determine.
(fr) That out of the trustees, a Secretary shall
be appointed by them in whose name all
legal proceedings and other business of the
Trust shall be carried on and transacted on
behalf of the trustees.
(c) That no trustee shall be entitled to any
remuneration for his services, but the
Council may award such stipends as it may
consider reasonable to such members as
may devote themselves wholly to the
service of the Council and be not possessed
of sufficient means to render it gratui
tously.
(d) That the correspondents of several Branch
Satsangs shall be the agents of the Trust
in all matters pertaining to their respec
tive Satsangs and their services may be
utilised by the latter in such manner as
they (the latter) shall deem fit.
30. These rules shall remain in force until
amended by the Council.
APPENDIX C 329
RULES FOR THE ENROLMENT AND CONDUCT OF
SADHUS, &c., OF THE RADHASOAMI FAITH
1. (a) Persons, who already belong to the
sadhu class, or (6) who have already renounced
their family or have no family ties, and who
<1) wish to devote themselves to the service of
Radhasoami Dayal exclusively, or (2) who are
incapable of earning their livelihood, may, if they
.so desire, be enrolled as sadhus of the Radhasoami
Faith after initiation. Renunciation of family with
the above object shall not be permitted, except
when such a course is absolutely necessary for the
performance of the devotional practices and when
it is not attended with any real hardship to any
member of the family.
2. The enrolment of sadhus will be sanctioned
by the? Managing Committee of the Radhasoami
Satsang and be recorded in a register in a prescribed
form. Candidates who cannot personally appear
before the Managing Committee for enrolment, shall
submit their application in writing, supported by
the recommendation of a satsangi of some stand
ing.
3. The allocation and movement of sadhus shall
be determined and regulated by the Managing
•Committee.
Random wanderings of sadhus should be strong
ly deprecated, and permission to proceed to another
330 APPENDIX C
place should be given under a pass, in a prescribed
form, in those cases only where such a course
appears to be necessary in the interest of Satsangr
or when the Committee is satisfied that it is neces
sary in the private interests of the sadhu to whom
such permission is granted.
Sadhus travelling without a pass are precluded
from the benefit of board and lodging and other
privileges enjoyed by a sadhu travelling under
authority. Presents in cash shall not be offered tor
or accepted by, sadhus travelling under a pass. In
case of need, however, presents of clothing or way-
expenses are not prohibited.
4. (1) A registered sadhu will be supplied with
free board, lodging, necessary clothes, and
such monthly allowance as the Managing
Committee may determine.
(2) A registered sadhu shall attend at all
meetings of the Satsang of the place where
he is allocated, unless prevented to do so
by sickness or other justifiable reasons,
(3) He shall practise devotion at least twice
every day for not less than half an hour
each time, save under circumstances men
tioned in the preceding clause.
(4) He shall perform such work of the
Satsang as may be entrusted tc him by
the Managing Committee or by the
Satsang to which he may be attached.
APPENDIX C
331
(5) He should not leave his premises for the
city, except on personal or Satsang
1 > 11 * {ness, or for the service of the Sant
Satguru of the time, nor shall he indulge
in objectless wanderings.
(6) He shall have no dealings \vith non-aged
satsangins or other females except in
connection with indispensable business.
The prohibition extends to religious help
too, which will be permissible in those
cases only where a male relative is present
and where it is specially solicited.
(7) No sadhu shall put on ochre- coloured
clothes.
5. Infringement of any of the duties enumerated
in the preceding paragraph will, after two warnings,
entail suspension or removal at the discretion of
the Managing Committee.
Orders for removal and suspension will be in
writing and will be subject to appeal to the Council.
Suspension or removal of sadhus will be notified to
Branch Satsangs and, as far as possible, to other
satsangis as well.
6. Only aged females and those already belong
ing to the sadhu class will be enrolled as sadhus.
The Managing Committee may, however, generally
maintain at the expense of the Satsang, which
should not be in excess of the actual requirements,
such females as are sincerely devoted to the
332 APPENDIX C
Radhasoami Faith and have no means of support.
Females of both classes, mentioned above, would,
mutatis 'mutandis, be subject to the rules prescribed
for sadhus. Females, belonging to the former
class, will be registered in the register prescribed
for sadhus, those of the latter class in a separate
register in a form similar to that for sadhus.
7. Under special circumstances, the Managing
Committee may also maintain, at the expense of the
Satsang, such male satsangis as are sincerely
devoted to the Radhasoami religion and have no
means of support. All rules and restrictions
applying to sadhus will apply, mutatis mutandis, to
such satsangis. The names of all such persons to
whom such concession is granted will be reported
to the Central Council together with a short state
ment of the reasons necessitating the grant. Their
names will also be recorded in a register similar to
that for sadhus.
RADHASOAMI
SAHAI
APPENDIX D
A Brief Report on the Radhasoami Faith
?HE object of Radhasoami religion is to attain-
immortal and supreme bliss, subject to no-
change and entirely free from pain of every des
cription, by exalting the spirit or soul to the purely
spiritual regions, through its passage within the
physical frame which is a miniature of the cosmos.
The passage above mentioned is similar to that
traversed by the conscious entity in receding from
the wakeful state into the conditions of dream,,
deep slumber, trance, and death ; but it commences
upwards from the focus of spirit in the pineal
gland (i. e., where the spirit-currents flowing
through the auditory, optic, olfactory, &c., nerves
converge) through the grey and white matter of
the brain which have correspondence respectively
with the regions of Universal Mind or Brahm,
and the purely spiritual region, the physical
frame having correspondence with the physical
334,
APPENDIX D
world. There are three methods for developing
the spiritual force and exalting it as explained
Jbelow : —
(1) Inward repetition of the holy name Eadha-
soami. — This name has no connection with
Krishna and represents in articulate speech
the sound accompanying the spirit-current
and spirit-centre by means of which the
whole creation has been evolved by the
Supreme Creator. The repetition of this
holy name results in accordance with the
law of harmony in the communion of spirit
with the spiritual force and thus helps
the devotee in gaining access into the
higher regions.
(2) Help internal and external of an adept or
true guide. — One who has reached the
purely spiritual region is called a true
guide or perfect adept. He has access into
the various planes of creation and accord
ingly can internally help a devotee who
has commenced the devotional practice
prescribed by Radhasoami Faith. His
external help and influence are also very
efficacious in aiding a devotee in the above
practice inasmuch as His physical frame
is highly spiritualised.
•(3) Communion of the spirit with the internal
spiritual sound.— The spiritual current
APPENDIX D 335
present in the creation is heard as sound
on the faculty of hearing becoming suffi
ciently developed and sensitive by the
performance of the methods of devotion
mentioned above. The communion of the
spirit with the sound, referred to above,
consists in listening with undivided atten
tion to the sound accompanying the spirit
or sensory current flowing through the
brain whose direction is inwards and up
wards. There are internal sounds accom
panying the motor current also, but they
are to be avoided as their tendency is out
wards and downwards.
Outward outburst of spiritual activity accom
panying the various passions results in the
•deterioration and descent of spirit into material
regions, and therefore it is absolutely necessary
that indulgence in passions should be carefully
avoided.
Humility, forbearance, patience, and other
virtuous qualities, which more or less pacify the
mind and result in the quiescence of outward
activity, are helpful in the development of the
spiritual force whose direction is inwards. A
follower of the Radhasoami Faith is therefore
strictly enjoined to observe them to the best of his
ability under all circumstances. Public preaching
is not encouraged by the Radhasoami religion, and
330 APPENDIX D
the devotees are enjoined not to explain the prin
ciples of this religion to any one save those who are
true seekers after truth and sufficiently intelligent
to understand them.
RADHASOAMl
SAHAI
APPENDIX E
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